In a world where vampires rule behind the veil of secrecy, Ryan Saint is a cold, domineering billionaire CEO and one of the world’s most renowned neurosurgeons. Ruthless in business and relationships alike, he’s untouchable—until an unexpected twist binds him to someone he never expected.

Mia Walls, a warm-hearted pediatrician with a mysterious past, lives in the human world, completely unaware of the supernatural forces surrounding her. She’s driven, kind, and fiercely independent—a woman who doesn’t believe in fate, let alone mates.

When their lives collide through a sudden contract marriage—meant to silence pressure from Ryan’s powerful vampire grandfather—they're forced to play a game neither of them wants. What starts as pretense soon tangles with unspoken emotions, stolen glances, and dangerous secrets.

Mia doesn’t know the truth about Ryan's world… yet.
Ryan refuses to believe he could ever be bound to one woman… until her warmth starts melting his icy walls.

But love isn’t safe in a world built on lies.
And the greatest threat might be what they’re both trying hardest to deny—
their feelings.

I wasn't supposed to be affected by her.


Not the sound of her laugh as she teased Paula over breakfast. Not the way she unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear while plating pancakes. Not even the soft scent of vanilla that lingered in the hallway after she walked by.


But here I was—watching, noticing, feeling—and it was beginning to piss me off.


She was just supposed to be a convenient solution. A way to silence my grandfather, protect Eric's health, and keep my personal life unentangled. Nothing more.


Now I found myself taking longer routes just to walk past her office at Saint Haven. Checking in on Eric even when Lia sent updates. Sending Ezra to cancel meetings just to stay close.


Last night, she'd texted: Are we still us, or is this arrangement coming to a close?


Because somehow, despite my every attempt to keep her at arm's length, Mia had begun to matter.


I leaned against the glass railing of my office balcony, watching the city buzz beneath me. The sky was silver, much like the woman currently blurring every rule I'd ever set for myself.


She wasn't like the others. Not even close. She didn't beg for attention. Didn't fall at my feet. She challenged me. Saw right through me. She was warm, grounded… and yet so easy to hurt.


I clenched my jaw, remembering the way her eyes flicked with disappointment when I told her this marriage had to remain a secret. That she shouldn't expect anything.


And now, after everything, I was the one expecting.


Expecting her to stay. To smile at me. To trust me with Eric. To care.


I reached into my inner jacket pocket and pulled out the small plush dragon Mia had given Eric during his last checkup. He'd left it behind at the penthouse by mistake.


I stared at it—tiny, colorful, oddly comforting—and realized something deeply unsettling:


Even when she was just one floor below me.


Chapter 38 - Chapter 37: Unsettled