To Alora Steele, marriage to the stranger was nothing more than a desperate escape. A mere convenience. With no way out of a forced engagement to the ruthless Sir Edgar Keil—or the suffocating grip of her captor, Captain Mufasa—she took a leap of faith into the unknown. All she wanted was freedom, a chance to take control of her life for the first time. But the moment she returned to the ranch with her new husband, the real battle began. Her aunt, Carol, and cousin, Molitta, saw her marriage as nothing more than an obstacle to their ambitions. Determined to secure the wealth and power that came with Alora’s engagement to Sir Edgar, they vowed to tear her fragile union apart—by any means necessary. Hanson, the mysterious live-in son-in-law, was an enigma. He was formidable yet quiet, a man who seemed to blend into the shadows while possessing an aura of undeniable strength. His past was a puzzle, one that Alora couldn’t quite piece together. But as they fought against betrayal and deception, an unexpected bond formed between them—one that neither had anticipated. However, secrets have a way of unraveling, and Molitta was the first to glimpse Hanson’s true identity. And once she did, she would stop at nothing to claim him for herself. Now, Alora faces a battle she never saw coming. She must fight, not just for her marriage and the man she’s grown to love, but for the future of the child growing within her. Because this time, walking away isn’t an option.