The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Eilika Wolanski, the eldest daughter of a respected merchant, bears a scar and the cruel label of "The Unwanted Woman" of Varos, a constant reminder that beauty trumps character in society. When a marriage proposal arrives from the formidable House of Kingsley, no one believes it until Duke Damian Van Kingsley, a man feared for his coldness and admired for his wealth and looks, is revealed as the groom. Damian is a broken man haunted by his first wife's death, neglecting his duties, his son, and drowning in alcohol. For Eilika, this marriage is a matter of survival, not a fairytale. Damian, consumed by a vow never to replace his deceased wife, is forced into a second marriage by his mother, a union he vehemently refuses to acknowledge. He vows to ignore and never touch Eilika. However, Eilika is not the fortune-seeker he anticipates; she desires not his affection, title, or love, but something far more perilous: a family. This might be precisely what Damian secretly craves. Damian declares their bed will remain cold, but Eilika calmly accepts his pronouncement, even permitting him to visit his mistress, as long as he stays away from her. Their forced union, intended to be cold and distant, begins to challenge Damian's hardened heart.