Hardeh
You wanted a war, Liliana. But behind closed doors, you play by my rules."
Four years ago, Liliana Bridget gave her heart to Kendrick Lockett, sealing their teenage love with a secret silver locket and a desperate, rain-slicked kiss before his family was exiled to Australia. But before his plane even touched down, her world was shattered. A leaked video proved the brutal truth: to Kendrick, she was nothing but a "placeholder bet" to secure a multi-billion dollar shipping merger.
Now, Lily is the untouchable "Ice Queen" of Seattle's elite, hiding a devastating secret—her family’s empire is bleeding dry, targeted by a ruthless shadow syndicate. To unmask the conspiracy, she must travel to Sydney and step straight into the lion's den.
But Kendrick is no longer the protective boy she loved in the rain.
At twenty, he is the fiercely dominant, cold-hearted CEO of Lockett Global. Believing Lily was the one who betrayed his family years ago, he has spent every waking hour planning his revenge.
When Lily is forced to beg for his help, Kendrick delivers a ruthless, predatory ultimatum: a mandatory, forced-proximity merger. He wants her in his skyscrapers, on his private mega-yacht, and bound to his side.
As they clash in a high-stakes game of corporate espionage, their hatred burns into a dark, suffocating passion. Behind closed doors, the cold masks they wear slip away, exposing a raw,
obsessive desire that neither of them can control. But with a shadow syndicate closing in and secrets from the past unraveling, they must face a devastating truth:
Was their hatred born of a lie, or will their toxic hunger destroy them both?
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