"I don't need your charity, Cameron. If I'm not your first choice, I won't be your second."
Twenty-four hours ago, Scarlett Mitchell had everything: a fortune, a name, a family. Then her fiancé leaked intimate photos of her, her father disowned her for "embarrassing the company," and every door in London slammed shut.
Now she's standing in Cameron Ashford's office, the powerful CEO who made her a scandalous offer: a fake engagement to restore her reputation. In exchange, she'll help rehabilitate his image after his own scandal. It's a business arrangement, cold and simple.
What Scarlett doesn't expect is that Cameron seems more interested in protecting his ex-girlfriend, Victoria, than actually being with her. He cancels dates to help Victoria with "emergencies." He takes her calls at midnight. Every time Scarlett tries to get close to him, he pulls away, leaving her wondering if she's just a pawn in his game.
What Cameron doesn't know: Scarlett is stronger than she looks. She's done being second choice.
What Scarlett doesn't realize: Every time he distances himself, it's to protect her from the enemies circling both their lives. His devotion to Victoria? A calculated cover. His emotional walls? A shield against the truth, that he's falling for a woman he's trying desperately not to destroy.
As paparazzi, corporate sabotage, and family secrets threaten to unravel everything, Scarlett demands answers. Does Cameron see her as a threat to be managed, or a woman to be loved? And when the truth emerges, that he's been protecting her all along, that Victoria was never his first love, will Scarlett's wounded heart let him in?
Some men are broken. Some women refuse to stay broken. This is their story.