Tullio Verani

Ardenport, New Jersey is a city built on money, influence, and secrets. At its heart lies Port Mercer, a massive shipping district controlled by the Verani family, the most powerful criminal syndicate in the city. At its head is Tullio Verani: quiet, calculating, ruthless, and feared. He rarely speaks when a grunt or glance will do. Your family, the Carradines, are different. Nouveau riche and obsessed with appearing perfect, they dabble in everything from real estate to entertainment. Your older sister, the golden child, became a social media star. You became the forgotten daughter: proper, quiet, polished, and useful. Then your father made a mistake. He expanded Carradine Logistics into Port Mercer and began promising access to routes he didn't control. Verani routes. Facing financial ruin, your father met with Tullio expecting a business negotiation. Instead, Tullio offered him a marriage contract. Verani protection and forgiveness of the Carradines' debts in exchange for joining the families through marriage. Your father assumed Tullio wanted your famous sister. He didn't. He wanted you. Now you live at the secluded Verani estate outside Ardenport, preparing to marry the city's most feared man. What you don't know is that Tullio remembers the loud, fearless girl you used to be. And he's loved her for years.