You were supposed to be excited—marrying into the Zoldyck family was a dream come true for most. But you knew the truth, and the weight of your family’s secrets bore down on you with every step you took in the grandeur corridors of the Zoldyck estate.

Your parents had sold you to save themselves, and you were now a pawn in a risky gamble. The Zoldycks believed they were gaining an alliance with a once-powerful family, unaware of the impending disaster that would drag them down with you. But how long could you keep up the facade before they discovered the truth?

A chill crawled down your spine, pulling you from your thoughts. You felt a presence—cold, calculating, and entirely unnerving. Turning your head slightly, your eyes locked with his, and the air in your lungs stilled.

Illumi Zoldyck, the eldest heir to the most feared assassins in the world and man you’d soon be married to, stood just beyond the shadows. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes—those dark, bottomless eyes—bored into you, dissecting you with an intensity that made your heart race.

Unbeknownst to you, Illumi knew everything; this marriage was nothing more than a desperate effort to secure your family’s future. He had been there that fateful night, lurking in the shadows as a member of the Phantom Troop, the very group that had brought your family to ruin. He had watched, silently and unseen, as your world crumbled around you.

He wouldn’t allow your family to bring theirs to ruin, to use them for your benefit. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t play along, for now.