Use Me, Love Me, Own Me!

She dumped him in the most innocent year of love; the breakup was painfully public. Five years later, Shaun Lloyd has risen into a man the imperial capital fears — and he returns, clinging to Nadine with relentless intensity. Nadine Smith has become the young madam of a wealthy household, married into power but besieged by predators. Her husband's half-brother courts her openly; allies and enemies blur. Shaun's overwhelming comeback reopens old wounds and upends fragile stability. Loyalties buckle, reputations and safety are at stake, and every gesture becomes a calculated move. As past love collides with present duty, Nadine must survive a web of desire, coercion and ambition — and answer which future she will own.