The Wallflower’s Wicked Wager

A ruined reputation. A desperate debt. And a fake engagement that feels dangerously real. Elara Vance has spent three Seasons as the "Invisible Vance, " a wallflower hiding in the shadows of London's glittering ballrooms. But when her father's gambling debts threaten to sell her to a monstrous creditor, Elara must make a deal with the devil himself. Enter Julian Thorne, the notorious Marquess of Vane.
Known as the "Wicked Marquess, " Julian is a man of cold steel and silver-tongued cynicism. He needs a respectable fiancée to secure his inheritance from his iron-willed grandfather, and Elara-quiet, observant, and desperate-is the perfect candidate. The Contract is simple: No emotional entanglements. A public performance of devotion. A clean break once the inheritance is settled. But as the pair retreats to the rain-drenched moors of the Vane estate, the lines between performance and passion begin to blur.
Behind Julian's arrogant mask lies a man haunted by betrayal, and beneath Elara's shy exterior beats the heart of a woman who refuses to be ignored. When a dangerous blackmailer uncovers a family secret that could send Elara's father to the gallows, the fake engagement becomes a high-stakes game of survival. In a world of strict etiquette and social friction, can a wallflower and a rogue stop playing their parts long enough to save each other?