Damien Stryker is a ruthless billionaire, but when Serena Mclane is forced to marry him, she hopes to find the mercy behind his cold eyes and strong hands. ****** Damien Stryker, a domineering billionaire, is someone you don't want to get close to. Unfortunately for Serena Mclane, she doesn't have much of a choice. Always at the mercy of her family's name and legacy, Serena has to do as her father says. So when her father forces her into an arranged marriage with the one and only Damien Stryker: the truth comes out. Secrets are unveiled, and love starts to bloom. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

A secret program in the United States seeks to replace human militaries with artificial intelligence-driven machines, but the machines aren't so willing to play along. *** Picture a world where humans no longer fight wars. No more families missing loved ones. No more veterans with lifelong mental and physical scars. No more conscription. For the super-secret End of War Project inside the United States government, such a reality is already here. The project models out how artificial intelligence can overcome dangerous and morally sensitive war scenarios with algorithms and automation. The centerpieces are "autonomous combat machines," or ACMs, that look like humans but function like supercomputers. After a string of brilliant successes in the field of combat, the End of War Project is preparing to reveal itself to the public, but something unusual stands in the way. Against their programming, the ACMs start exhibiting all-too-human signs of apprehension, guilt and compassion as they're pushed to perform ever more extreme tasks. The human leaders of the End of War Project race to find who "hacked" the ACMs, but what they find is even more startling--and revealing--than they could ever imagine. ***2019 Watty Award Winner - Science Fiction***