Matteo Benenati has spent his life wrapped in wealth and privilege. He is shallow, selfish, jaded--and he likes it that way.
When bold American art student Riley Tremaine crashes into his life, her light forces him to examine the dark places inside of his soul, the ones he thought he'd buried with his father. He knows he should let her go... but he's never claimed to be a good man.
When Matteo is pitted against his unscrupulous stepsister Emilia Guerra in a bid for his late father's empire, he must decide between honor and vice. In need of a wife--and desperate to possess her--Matteo makes Riley an offer she can't refuse. She will be his bride--in every meaning of the word--so that he can protect his legacy.
But Matteo soon learns that Emilia's soul is darker even than his own. And by marrying Riley, he has made her a pawn in a power struggle that could shatter their world.