Lucian and Isla never asked for the life they were forced into. Bound together by their parents' marriage, they became step-siblings overnight. But from the moment their eyes met, an undeniable pull threatened to shatter the fragile rules keeping them apart. Fate plays a cruel game when love grows in forbidden soil. As the weight of society's judgment and their own guilt battle against their hearts, they try to suppress what shouldn't exist. But when a hidden truth about their families comes to light, the line between love and law blurs. With everything at stake, Lucian and Isla must choose: deny their hearts and live in the shadows, or risk it all and challenge the rules that were never meant for them.
Chapter 1 PROLOGUE
Prologue
Isla had never been the type to care for society's whispers, but as she stood at the grand doorway of her new home, a heavy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. The opulence of the mansion, the elegance of the champagne glasses in the hands of her mother's guests, and the laughter that rang through the halls made her feel like a stranger in her own skin. This wasn't the life she had chosen.
Her mother's recent marriage had brought her here, to this gilded cage. To the family of a man she hardly knew and whose presence was a constant reminder of the things she could never have. The Sinclair name, once a proud emblem of independence, now felt like an anchor tied to her heart, dragging her down into this sea of pretense.
They called it a celebration, a merging of two powerful families-rich, influential, untouchable. But to Isla, it felt like a prison sentence.
Her mother had married into wealth, yes, but it was not just for the riches. There was something more. Something no one ever spoke about, least of all her mother. And Isla had learned the hard way not to ask questions.
From the moment the marriage had been announced, Isla had felt the weight of it. She hadn't even met her new stepbrother yet, but the whispers of the servants, the way the other guests regarded her mother, told her everything she needed to know. This was no ordinary union. This was a marriage of convenience, wrapped in secrets that Isla had no intention of uncovering.
But as the night wore on, and Isla's eyes darted across the room, she couldn't help but feel a pull-something she couldn't explain. Her mother's new husband was distant, cold even, his focus always on the guests, always away from Isla. That was fine. She wasn't interested in him or his world of high society.
But then there was the matter of her stepbrother. She hadn't met him yet, but she had heard rumors. Cold, ruthless, and untouchable. The Sinclair family's wealth and influence were only matched by the Valmorne family's. And that was exactly why Isla hated it. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She wasn't supposed to be here, trapped in a gilded cage with a family that had more secrets than she cared to know.
A flash of movement caught her eye. For a moment, she thought it was him-her stepbrother-but no, it was someone else. A man she didn't recognize, standing at the far end of the ballroom, watching her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. The gaze felt like fire, burning through her with a coldness she couldn't quite place.
The man disappeared into the crowd, and for a moment, Isla wondered if she had imagined it. But the feeling lingered, gnawing at the back of her mind. There was something about tonight-something that didn't sit right. She couldn't shake the sense that her life, her world, was about to change in ways she couldn't control.
And then the door opened again, and Isla's heart skipped a beat.
Her mother entered the room, accompanied by her new husband, his face unreadable as always. And behind them, standing just a little too far off to catch a glimpse of his expression... Isla knew.
It was him. The stepbrother she hadn't yet met.
Isla's breath caught in her throat. He wasn't who she expected, yet he was everything she had imagined. Dark eyes, sharp features, and a posture that screamed confidence, arrogance, and something else-something deeper. Isla had seen enough of the world to recognize it. Power.
But power was a dangerous thing, and Isla wasn't sure if she was ready to face whatever storm his presence might bring.