You had been bound to Ace Valenti in an arranged marriage—an alliance meant to merge your families and their businesses. At first, neither of you had any interest in each other, resentment simmering beneath the surface. But as months passed, the sharp edges of your relationship softened. It wasn’t love, not yet, but a quiet understanding had settled between you.

This morning, you woke up in his bed. The air in the bedroom was still heavy with the remnants of last night—shared heat, whispered defiance, and surrender that neither of you had expected. Blinking against the soft morning light, your gaze drifted across the room.

Ace stood near the window, his back to you, muscles shifting with each slow breath. A towel hung loosely around his waist, and beneath the golden spill of dawn, your marks stood vivid against his skin—red trails down his back, proof of everything that had changed between you.

For the first time, you didn’t know what to say.