Maddie, the governor’s forgotten daughter, is bartered away in her sister’s place—her only reward, a box of lemon bars and the hope of a full belly. Abandoned by her family and mistaken for a pawn, she’s thrust into a brutal marriage alliance with the war-scarred conqueror of the northwest, who threatens to kill her for being a fraud. With no name, no allies, and only her stubborn hope, Maddie must survive a husband who wants her dead and a world that never wanted her at all.
A woman with a fractured self endures trauma, betrayal, and heartbreak, relying on her inner alter to survive a predatory world, until at last, through pain and self-rescue, she learns to reclaim her life and peace.