Aashvik Singh Rajput is a cold, ruthless mafia king who rules not just the underworld but also the business world. His empire is unmatched, and his name strikes fear into the hearts of all. Arrogant and detached, Aashvik doesn't understand the concept of love-he's never needed it. The word "kindness" doesn't even exist in his dictionary. Everyone in the underworld bows to him, and he's used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it.
Ishita is a strong-willed woman on the outside, but beneath her confident facade, she's emotionally fragile. She feels like the world doesn't exist for her, as if she's just a shadow lost in a world that doesn't care. Though she appears to be the epitome of strength, she carries a deep emotional trauma from her past, one that makes her believe she's undeserving of happiness.
Their worlds collide when Aashvik first lays eyes on Ishita. From the very first moment, he's obsessed with her, a feeling he's never experienced before. The power and control he has over everything seems insignificant compared to the way she unknowingly invades his thoughts. But Aashvik isn't the type to pursue someone with such vulnerability. Will he break his own rules for Ishita, or will her presence bring out sides of him he never knew existed?
As Ishita begins to open up to him, will she be able to break free from her emotional chains, or will the trauma from her past continue to haunt her? And when Aashvik discovers the truth about her pain and her past, how will it change the way he sees her? Will he be able to help her escape the shadows of her own trauma, or will he only add to it?
As the two grow closer, the question remains: can a cold-hearted mafia king and a broken woman find love and healing in each other's arms? Or will their wounds and the truth of their pasts pull them apart?
Henley agrees to pretend to date millionaire Bennett Calloway for a fee, falling in love as she wonders - how is he involved in her brother's false conviction?
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Henley Linden's brother is in jail for a crime he didn't commit, and she'll take any job to raise the money needed to free him. Soon, she's agreed to pretend to date millionaire Bennett Calloway for ten thousand dollars, so his mother will ease up the pressure on him to find a wife. But once Henley is enmeshed in Bennett's world, he falls for her, and she starts to have feelings for him as well. Despite her romance with Bennett, as she grows closer to the Calloways, Henley realizes they are somehow involved in her brother's conviction. Journeying deeper into a world of wealth and conspiracies, Henley is forced to rely on Bennett, though doing so could cost her everything.
[[word count: 200,000-250,000 words]]