* THIS IS A COPYRIGHTED STORY OF MINE, MIDNIGHT_LILAC, PUBLISHED ON WATTPAD. IF YOU FIND IT ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE, IT HAS BEEN COPIED/REPUBLISHED WITHOUT MY CONSENT AND YOU ARE LIKELY AT A RISK OF A MALWARE ATTACK. IF YOU WISH TO READ THIS STORY IN ITS ORIGINAL, SAFE FORM, PLEASE GO TO WATTPAD * From a life of pleasant luxury and heart racing adventure, Yukihara Izumi is unexpectedly thrown into a world of poisonous malice and turmoil. For a not-so-average teenage girl of the modern world, fighting and shady work aren't all that new or surprising. However, similar situations in the Feudal Era are ruthlessly torturous, battering and definitely something anyone would wish to never experience, not even one as steadfast as Izumi. But she soon settles into the rough life with the Feudal Capital's downtown civilians. Not so surprisingly, things aren't always as simple as they seem to be and don't remain so forever either. It took just one unexpected encounter with an unexpected stranger in dire need of help to turn Izumi's life upside down. Dragged into the dark depths of lies, insidious plots and dangerous people in a place where nothing is what it appears to be, it is purely survival of the fittest. The coldest, cruellest and most merciless Emperor to have ever dictated the Empire is not the only one she has to face but also his vicious and obscure vassals that have an eagle's eye on her every move. It has always been easy for Izumi to keep up her inherent strength and determination no matter how dire the situation and that's what she plans on doing even after being thrown into a world of mayhem. But perhaps things can get a lot more complicated and out of hand when deeper emotions are involved - curiosity, deadly desire and suffocating possessiveness. ~~~~~~~~~~ ORIGINAL STORY, PLOT AND CHARACTERS (C) Midnight_Lilac

When Arianna marries billionaire Zach Price to save her family, she doesn't expect to fall in love with a man who'd always consider her a second choice. An unexpected turn of events brings the couple closer together, but can a marriage based on lies and deceit ever survive? ***** When Arianna's older sister, Olivia, decides to run away on the day of her wedding, Arianna is forced to take her place to save her family from ruin. But her new husband is angry, heartbroken, and seems to hate her guts. The cold, elusive billionaire Zach Price has never quite struck Arianna as the kind of man she'd want to spend her entire life with. She was more than content with her sweet, thoughtful boyfriend Noah, but when circumstances force them together, Zach and Arianna's hearts get entangled in a way she never saw coming. As the couple grows closer, they must battle the demons of their past and of the lives they left behind - especially when Olivia returns and decides she wants Zach all for herself. Content/Trigger Warning: This story contains scenes of violence and sexual abuse, and mentions abortion and miscarriage. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren Tachibana