The Choice of Ada

In 1816, Colin Wilson arrived in Whitney, a village of wealth and privilege, and there, he saw Ada-a woman as beautiful as she was distant, a cold enigma that drew him in like a moth to flame. From the moment he laid eyes on her, an obsession took root. She wasn't just a desire to him-she was a puzzle, a fire he must claim, no matter the cost. Her sharp intellect and thirst for knowledge only deepened his hunger to possess her.

But Ada's heart was already claimed by Fay, a wealthy and celebrated painter. Colin's envy burned hot, and he could not stand to watch their love flourish. He would tear them apart. He would make Ada see him, make her crave him. There was no path but to have her.

As his obsession spiraled, Colin married Sia, a woman he cared nothing for, simply a means to an end. Yet, even in this marriage, his mind remained fixed on Ada. He divorced Sia, believing he could still win her. But Ada, ever resolute, rejected him. On the day of their wedding, she abandoned him, leaving Colin broken and humiliated. The weight of her rejection shattered him-Ada, cold and proud, could not bring herself to marry him.

In Whitney Seal, an ancient law dictated that if a bride forsakes her fiancé on their wedding day, he must marry either her younger sister or cousin. In his heartbreak and fury, Colin was forced to consider Ada's sister, who loved him with a passion of her own, or her cousin, equally devoted. But none of them could ever replace Ada.

As Colin faced the cruel reality that Ada was lost to him forever, madness clawed at him. Would she ever regret her decision? Could she ever love him? The hunger to possess her consumed him-he would stop at nothing. His soul, twisted by jealousy and desire, could never accept defeat. To have Ada, he would sacrifice everything-even himself. But would she escape his obsession before it destroyed them both?