It was a temporary madness that ended up in a lifelong love.

Deana Carter has always been superstitious and cynical. She's always waiting for the other shoe to drop and expecting the inevitable - disappointment. So, when she meets Matthew Stewart, she can't help her cynicism. It's all too good to be true. However, she begins to warm up to the thoughts of happily ever after . . . until she's standing alone in the wedding chapel - an abandoned bride. She quickly curls back into her dark jaded hole of negativity and becomes caustic, putting all her energy and thoughts into her work. Then, news about the merger comes to light. Her company is merging with the top graphic design company in the country. She doesn't put much thought to it and immerses herself in her work even more. And then she meets Jeremy Harrington . . . . .

To the country she was born to, she is Princess Le-Anne, the king's illegitimate daughter hidden in the shadows. To the empire she is sold to, she is Lady Wei Li Lian, a traitorous spy sent to infiltrate an enemy throne. But who is she really? Gifted with rare beauty and keen intelligence, Li Lian once desired nothing more than a peaceful, ordinary life. She dreamed of traveling distant lands and living freely, far away from politics and power. That fragile dream shattered the moment her estranged royal father finally noticed her existence. To him, she was not a daughter, but a tool. She was given one mission. Enter the enemy empire of Nevoria. Seduce its emperor. Survive the harem. Become empress. And hand the empire to her homeland. From a young age, she trained relentlessly in etiquette, strategy, and deception. She learned how to smile while scheming, how to walk through danger without leaving a trace. She would maneuver through the Nevorian court, evade the vipers of the inner palace, send secret missives in the dead of night, and climb her way to the phoenix throne. It should have been simple. So why did no one warn her? The greatest threat was never the harem, but the emperor himself. Cold, inscrutable, and merciless, he ruled with an iron fist and revealed nothing of his thoughts. Every encounter between them felt like a silent confrontation, where one misstep could lead to quiet destruction. Those eyes of his held no warmth, only sharp calculation, as if he had already seen through every lie she told herself. _____________________________ Cover By Ei_Daisuki