If I can't own you

When a ruthless crime lord hires a soft-spoken woman for what should have been a forgettable job, he expects compliance-not competition. She looks harmless: gentle voice, polite smile, eyes that seem too kind for his world. But innocence is her favorite lie.

She knows exactly what she's doing. Every man who looks at her becomes a pawn, every touch an experiment in control. She collects attention the way others collect weapons-patiently, deliberately, without remorse. And when she grows bored, she discards them without a second thought.

He has ruled his empire through fear, desire, and absolute dominance. Lust has always been easy. Jealousy has never touched him-until he watches her smile at another man. Until he realizes he wants her attention locked on him and him alone. The more men circle her, the more violent his need becomes.

But she is no victim. Every woman who dares look at him too long earns her quiet fury. She memorizes names, studies weaknesses, and smiles sweetly while plotting ruin. Possession is not his alone to claim.

What begins as mutual fascination turns into obsession.
What becomes obsession twists into something toxic, devouring, and dangerously intimate.

They don't fall in love-they collide.

He finally meets his match in a woman who refuses to submit.
She finds her equal in a man who refuses to let her go.

In a world where power is everything, they are willing to burn empires, bodies, and themselves to keep each other-because if they can't be owned by anyone else, they will destroy anyone who tries.