Summary
Born into nobility but orphaned and burdened by crushing debt, Anastasia’s life was a desolate struggle for survival. When her uncle, the Earl of Everdeen, offers a desperate lifeline – a marriage to the formidable Duke Theodore in exchange for her freedom from financial ruin – it seems like a chance at escape. But what awaits her at the Duke’s estate is not salvation, but a new hell. Subjected to relentless ridicule from Theodore and his cruel staff, she endures tattered gowns, rotten meals, and the Duke’s chilling pronouncement: ‘It’s a good thing your parents are dead.’ Drowning in loneliness and despair, Anastasia’s spirit teeters on the brink. Yet, at a fateful ball, a mysterious encounter ignites a spark, promising to shatter her predetermined misery and forever alter her destiny. Discover how Anastasia’s fate unfolds in Chapter 1.