Shadows of Steel

Harlow Once, I entertained a childish dream, naïve, fleeting, and foolish. A father who cherished me. A family unbroken by betrayal. But dreams are the illusions of the weak, and my mother ensured I outgrew them swiftly. Now, I do not believe in love. I do not crave family. And I most certainly do not need a husband. Yet in this world, my desires are irrelevant. A pact was forged in my name. An arranged marriage to a man I had never met, a cold-blooded transaction to cement an alliance. But when night falls, the groom changes. Because the man...

Harlow Once, I entertained a childish dream, naïve, fleeting, and foolish. A father who cherished me. A family unbroken by betrayal. But dreams are the illusions of the weak, and my mother ensured I outgrew them swiftly. Now, I do not believe in love. I do not crave family. And I most certainly do not need a husband. Yet in this world, my desires are irrelevant. A pact was forged in my name. An arranged marriage to a man I had never met, a cold-blooded transaction to cement an alliance. But when night falls, the groom changes. Because the man who clasps the ring around my finger is not the one I was meant to wed. Dante Salvatore. Capo dei Capi. Merciless. Calculating. Lethal. He is a decade my senior, twice as ruthless, and infinitely more perilous. If he believes I will be a docile, submissive wife, he is gravely mistaken. No man commands me. No man possesses me. Love? I do not need it. Do not desire it. Do not believe in it. But someone else does. Someone who lingers in the abyss. Who watches. Who waits. Who murmurs my name like an unholy vow. He leaves me messages only I can decipher. I was never meant to belong to him. And yet, in his mind, I always did.

Dante I am a man of discipline. As Capo dei Capi, I did not seize power through recklessness. My empire stands upon a foundation of ruthlessness, control, and absolute precision. I do not take unnecessary risks. I do not make decisions governed by sentiment. I do not entertain liabilities. And yet, here she stands, my wife. I never desired a bride. Never sought her. Yet from the moment Harlow Moretti was bound to me, I have been unable to release her. She is wildfire and defiance, a temptation I cannot subdue. I resisted. I faltered. I fell. And then, they took her from me. They dared to steal what is mine. Now, I will raze the world to bring her back. And those who dare stand in my way will beg for mercy they will never receive.

This is a dark romance featuring mature and potentially triggering themes. Reader discretion is advised—please review the content warnings before beginning. A guaranteed happily ever after. No cheating. The morally grey hero is completely obsessed with the heroine, his loyalty is absolute, and his eyes are only for her.

Learning Cards for All Ages