Eliza de Winter's life takes a sudden turn when she gets into a scandal through no fault of her own. Almost overnight, she goes from being the belle of the ball to a woman with no marriage prospects. A woman in need of a job. But with her reputation in shambles and not much meaningful experience under her belt, she finds herself turned away from every position she applies for. Except for one. Adrian Thorne has just arrived in town. As the sole heir to a very respectable fortune, he can allow himself to be somewhat eccentric and anti-social. Eliza had been warned away from him and his highly questionable reputation before, but he is in need of a housekeeper and willing to overlook her scandal. His directness and disregard for certain societal rules are as refreshing as they are intriguing, and it doesn't take long before she finds herself looking at him in ways someone in her position absolutely shouldn't look at their employer. Until the day she discovers that Adrian Thorne has a dark secret. A secret so terrible it should send her run screaming—only running doesn't seem to be an option anymore. Dark Historical/Gothic Romance. Contains explicit (not always consensual) sexual situations, violence, disturbing, sensitive, and taboo subjects, offensive language, and mature topics. Recommended for ages 18 years and up.