Nozomi Matsumoto wasn't exactly living the dream. A Japanese expat with no fancy degree, no savings, and a résumé that screamed "just winging it," she had one thing going for her, she could pour a drink like a boss, and trust me, that talent paid the bills. Her bank account? Let's just say it was the punchline of every joke she told herself. But hey, she had a friend whose family treated her like their own daughter, so who needed cash when you had love... right? Then, a ridiculously gorgeous six-foot blonde strolls into her life, looking like she'd just escaped a Vogue cover shoot. Nozomi's carefully crafted little world? Yeah, it got flipped upside down faster than a shaken cocktail. Suddenly, Miss "I've got this all figured out" was tangled in a mess of feelings she wasn't ready for and honestly, she was kinda loving the chaos. Twenty-four years of "playing it cool" went out the window the second those killer eyes locked onto hers, daring her to rewrite the whole damn script.

Viktoriya Roksana Morozova was born into power, privilege, and peril. The first granddaughter, the first niece and the only daughter, she has spent her life walking a fine line between perfection and obligation-mastering everything her family demanded, from music to academics, combat to strategy. There is one thing she cannot conquer: cooking. A simple fried egg becomes a disaster, and yet, for the first time, she craves a challenge for herself, not for the empire. Finn Carlyn Gamboa, a brilliant, fiery, and notoriously temperamental chef who lives only for the kitchen and her motorcycle. When she becomes Toriya's business partner at the same time, private mentor, chaos ensues. Kitchen disasters, banter, and late-night lessons spark an unexpected connection. For the first time, Toriya tastes freedom, laughter, and something dangerously close to love. But the Morozova world is unforgiving. When Toriya's mother, Klementya Tamara Morozova, discovers their relationship, she reacts with cold calculation and escalating threats. As truths about blood, power, and legacy collide, Toriya must navigate betrayal, emotional collapse, and danger in ways she never imagined. With Finn at her side, she confronts her family, faces a relentless mother, and challenges the empire that has shaped her life. Amidst underworld intrigue, culinary triumphs, and the fragile pulse of first love, Toriya must choose between the life she was born into and the one she truly wants-before it's too late. A story of love, loyalty, and defiance, Viktoriya Roksana Morozova is a gripping tale of ambition, heart, and the courage to claim your own destiny.