A scarred war hero with a frozen heart. A brilliant wallflower with a desperate secret. And a fake engagement that might just set London on fire. Julian Thorne, the Earl of Blackwood, is known to the ton as the "Ice King." Returning from the Peninsula with a jagged scar and a reputation shrouded in rumors of cowardice, he needs a respectable fiancée to reclaim his standing and silence his enemies. He doesn't need love—he needs a tactical alliance. Elara Vance is a "nobody" fading into the shadows of the ballroom. But beneath her quiet exterior lies a sharp mind and a family on the brink of financial ruin. When Julian offers her five thousand pounds to play the part of his devoted bride-to-be, Elara accepts. It's the perfect business arrangement: six weeks of glittering parties, a fake romance, and a payout that will save her sisters. The rules are simple: No real feelings. No shattered defenses. No looking behind the mask.