He is a wealthy, handsome, and powerful man who has amassed his fortune through years of money lending. He is ruthless when it comes to collecting his debts, yet the city holds him in high esteem and admiration. Helen despises him and thinks he's unworthy of all the admiration. When her father’s debt threatens to strip them of their home and lands, he offers her hand in marriage to have his debts forgiven; he would rather give her hand than lose his home and lands. Helen was devastated to suffer the consequences of debts she knew nothing about, to be given like a commodity to the man she greatly despised. She considers marrying the arrogant, heartless, and inconsiderate duke to be punishment, not marriage. But the duke has never found a woman like her. Beautiful, sharp-tongued, and fiercely defiant, she refuses to get intimidated by him like everyone else, and her refusal ignites an interest he never intended to feel. As hatred melts into great desire and love, enemies rise from within the duke’s own household. His brother, driven by jealousy and greed, plots to snatch everything he owns, including the woman who has become his greatest weakness. In a world where marriage is power and betrayal is deadly, will their union survive these adversities?