He Left Me Ruined, Then Returned

I fell for Julian Pierce the summer I turned eighteen—and by the time he left me ruined on my front porch, my world was already crumbling. Ten years later, I’m no longer the golden girl of Maple Heights, but the secret nobody dares mention, forced to survive as a kept woman in a city where dignity costs more than rent. When Julian—now a war hero—returns and crosses my path at the Magnolia Club, old wounds flare in front of the powerful Hamilton family, and I become the target of their wrath. But humiliation is only the beginning. In a world ruled by secrets, betrayal, and debts that can never be repaid, how much must I lose to protect the one person I still love? When your name is only whispered in shame, is there any way to rewrite your story before the final page turns?