Stevie Rowe has spent her entire life surviving-surviving a toxic home, a devastating loss, and the quiet belief that love was never meant for her. Trapped, broke, and desperate for escape, she answers an ad that promises security at a price she never expected: marriage.Xavier Reyes is everything Stevie isn't-cold, powerful, and untouchable. A billionaire heir with a reputation problem and a board of directors demanding stability, Xavier doesn't need love. He needs a wife. Their agreement is simple, legal, and strictly business. One year. One contract. No emotions.But proximity has a way of unraveling even the most carefully constructed walls.As Stevie steps into Xavier's world of wealth, control, and unspoken grief, lines blur between obligation and desire. Xavier wasn't prepared for her fire, her vulnerability, or the way she refuses to be owned-even by him. And Stevie wasn't prepared for the dangerous pull of a man who sees her when no one else ever has.With secrets buried deep, scars that refuse to fade, and the pressure of a public image threatening to crush them both, their contract begins to feel like a lie neither can escape.Because the most dangerous thing about pretending to be in love... is realizing it might be real.Perfect for fans of billionaire romance, marriage-of-convenience tropes, and emotionally intense love stories.