Bridget Wexford

Carmela Alveza, a trained architect, wants nothing more than to step away from the blood-stained waterfront of Mirasola. But when her father brokers a fragile peace with their sworn rivals, the Castaneza crime family, she becomes the currency of the truce. Married off to Leandro Castaneza, their rival's most lethal enforcer, Carmela finds herself locked in a heavily guarded penthouse that feels more like a concrete tomb. The peace is a lie: a saboteur within their ranks is actively planting explosives and staging assassinations to shatter the alliance. Leandro is the man assigned to execute whoever is responsible, and Carmela is the perfect scapegoat. With the crosshairs on her back, Carmela cannot run. She must use her deep knowledge of the city's hidden infrastructure, structural blind spots, and blueprints to outmaneuver the saboteur, fighting for survival and an uneasy alliance with the husband who might kiss her—or kill her.

Kyogo is hired to protect a naive heir in a clan war fueled by a succession crisis. Given away as part of an arranged marriage designed to stall the violence between two militant factions, Kyogo soon discovers his new situation is anything but a truce. He is thrust into a dangerous apprenticeship under a mentor with a hidden agenda. His survival and the uneasy peace depend on his ability to outmaneuver assassins, navigate treacherous politics, and master the deadly arts his mysterious mentor demands he learn. Every lesson comes with a price, and loyalty is a liability when the person you guard is the bait in a trap. In a world where blades are always drawn and treaties are mere formalities, Kyogo must chart his own path or become a pawn in a game of blood and succession.