Sevyn had always believed in devotion. Seven years of her life were spent molding herself into what he needed what he wanted. And in return, he left her with nothing but a hollowed-out heart.

The rain mirrored her misery, cascading down in relentless sheets as she stood outside, her bags at her feet, her pride shattered beneath the weight of betrayal. Where did she go from here? She had no answers, only the numbing realization that she had wasted years chasing a love that had never truly been hers.

But then again, wasn’t that all she had ever known?

Her whole life, she had sought validation from the people who were supposed to love her first. Aurora, her sister, stood tall in the eyes of their parents, a reflection of the legacy she was meant to uphold. Elegant. Sweet. Loving. Respected. And then there was Sevyn, the afterthought, the one who was never quite enough. She had spent her entire life trying to prove she was worthy, bending over backward for even the smallest acknowledgment, only to be met with indifference. She had fought for their love, only to be given their disregard. It didn’t matter what she did; the outcome was always the same. They had their pride, and she had their rejection.

She should’ve been used to it by now.

Fate, however, had other plans.

She was supposed to disappear, to fade into the nothingness they had reduced her to. Instead, she was found by him. Truth was a man who lived by his own rules, someone who carried the weight of his last name like a warning rather than a privilege. He was built by the shadows, thriving in a world where power was measured in fear and blood. He never cared about the company he kept or got rid of. That was until he met Sevyn, and his entire world was consumed by protecting the one who couldn’t protect herself.

She had spent so long chasing acceptance from people who would never give it. But with Truth, she was about to learn what it felt like to be protected, to be wanted, whether she was ready for it or not.