CARLISLE: Tamed (Aristocrat #9)

She has lived her life bound by three core values: maintaining the fragile peace of Salvado, safeguarding the friends she holds dear, and keeping her word, as her family's legacy demands. For years, that has been enough. She didn't care for much else. Until her sister throws a wrench into everything, forcing her to take on a responsibility she never wanted.

This responsibility comes in the form of a woman-one with a burning desire to reclaim her fallen family's name. She's ambitious, self-serving, and utterly selfish. At first, the woman seems like nothing more than a nuisance, someone to babysit until the job is done. Carlisle has no interest in her or her petty schemes. She could disappear tomorrow, and Carlisle wouldn't bat an eyelash.

But when Carlisle starts to uncover the truth-that the woman she's now bound to protect may have played a role in the suffering of someone Carlisle has sworn to protect-everything changes. The betrayal cuts deeper than she ever expected. Her sense of duty is tested, and with it, her loyalty to her friend, who has been by her side for years.

Now, Carlisle stands at a crossroads, trapped between two opposing forces: her sworn duty to protect a woman she finds repulsive, and the loyalty she has always held for her friends, the people who has shared her life, her secrets, and her struggles. Can she keep her word, as a Di Santis should, even if it means betraying someone she loves? Or will the truth force her to shatter her oath, risking not only her own reputation but the fragile peace she's worked so hard to maintain?

With every step, the weight of her decision grows heavier, and the consequences more dire. In a world where family, loyalty, and power collide, Carlisle must choose what kind of person she wants to be-and whether she's willing to sacrifice everything she holds dear all for the sake of one woman.