Alicia Fonell thought marriage would save her—but life with Travis Blackwood is nothing but bruises, betrayal, and silence. Trapped in a family built on greed and lies, she has only one goal: escape.

Then Malachi Blackwood returns. Her husband’s older brother. Dark, dangerous, and untouchable. He swore he’d never come back to Silver Lake, but secrets and revenge drag him home.

The closer Alicia gets to him, the harder it becomes to resist. Forbidden touches. Stolen glances. A temptation she knows could destroy them both.

Trigger / Content Warning 
This story contains a morally grey male lead whose choices, actions, and desires are not always healthy or “right.” Malachi is obsessive, controlling, and dangerously possessive. If you’re looking for a gentle love story, this may not be for you.

But if you crave intensity, forbidden passion, and a hero who walks the line between love and ruin—welcome.

My hand stretched across the bed before I was even fully conscious. Searching for warmth. For the softness of her skin. For any evidence that last night hadn't been a dream.


But the sheets beside me were cold. Empty. Untouched.


Of course they were. She wasn't here. Would probably never be here again.


The realization hit like a punch to the gut. Again. Like it did every morning since Dark City. Since I'd lost her.


I stared at the ceiling. At the same spot I'd stared at for hours last night. Whispering her name into the darkness like a prayer that went unanswered.


"Sir, we have a situation." His voice was tense. Urgent. "It's about Zhao Wei."


I sat up. Instantly alert. "What did he do?"


"He's making moves. Big ones. My sources say he's planning to take over your operations in Dark City. All of them."


Chapter 46 - Chapter forty six