Banished for five years, Lady Belinda Carrington returns to Willowfair, claiming to know things one would find impossible to believe. With her tainted reputation, can Belinda make Town Guard McKenzie Haverston help her in her pursuit of the truth? *** After her banishment five years ago, Belinda Carrington returns with secrets and tales too impossible to believe. But something in her lies makes McKenzie Haverston desperate for the truth... When Belinda shows up in McKenzie's home asking for protection in return for important information on a case he's working on, he rejects her. But when he learns where she had been banished after her great scandal five years ago, he finds himself striking a deal with the woman-he protects her, she gives him answers. The question now is: how true is her tale? She was once considered the fairest of them all, but one scandal later, she has become the most reviled. And she is also being hunted. If Belinda wants to stay alive, she has to start trusting McKenzie Haverston, a task she finds to be surprisingly easy to do. However, as the truth of the past begins to resurface, and the secrets of her scandal is revealed, Belinda is confronted by her own demons, causing her to doubt her own reality. Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, mental trauma, sexual assault, mental health illness

Bernard. Ibinigay niya ang pangalan at pag-ibig sa iisang babae. And blamed himself that she died. Nawalan ng direksiyon ang buhay niya and he thought that Diana could bring back his sanity. Diana. Pinakasalan niya si Bernard dahil mahal niya ito, dahil akala niya ay kaya niyang tanggapin na kalahati ng puso nito ay hindi kanya. And she was so wrong. Lance. He fell in love with a woman whose exotic beauty could make the gods swoon. She had coal-black eyes which he thought held so many passionate mysteries. The Black Diamond. Para sa kanya, iisa lang ang kahulugan ng buhay-si Bernard. She died and lived again for only one man. Feel the pain, the heartaches, the anguish and the magical love that defied time and death.

"Light up my darkness," he murmured against her bare flesh. His fingers trailed up her arm, leaving a blazing fire beneath them. His lips pressed softly against her shoulder and her eyes fluttered closed, accepting his touch. "Let go and I'll take away all of the pain." She desperately wanted to free herself from the torture of the heat, of the shift, of the sadness, but she pushed his firm chest away from her. She yearned to finally fulfill her place among the divine. She desired to guide and protect the species. She wished to eliminate the Challengers. The longer she endured the pain, the more power she would attain to help her fulfill her responsibilities. To the men who watched her ascend, it looked as if she was interacting with thin air, but she knew he was there with her. She smiled softly at him, caressing his cheek. "My Darkness, let the pain fester within me. I crave it." * The Betrayal is a part of The Marking Trilogy and cannot be read as a stand-alone book. The Marking must be read first.* Cover by @Finding_Bria