The English version of "Carmesí": Mason Richter controls everything: the city, the power... and fear. No one dares challenge him. Until she appears. Aria Berger enters his life after a rescue that changes everything. She seems fragile, but there's something about her that doesn't fit. She isn't afraid of him. She doesn't run. And, little by little, she begins to understand him better than anyone else. Too well. What begins as simple protection becomes something more dangerous: a connection Mason can't control... and that could destroy him. Because Aria holds secrets. Secrets that shouldn't see the light of day. Secrets capable of breaking empires. And when the truth begins to close in... it will be too late to escape. Because in Mason Richter's world, loving the wrong person isn't a mistake. It's a death sentence.

I DO NOT OWN THIS WORK. This is a transcription of a bonus chapter from the Books-A-Million exclusive edition of Sarah J. Mass's novel House of Flame and Shadow.