Ruthless Devotion by Kitty Thomas

Once upon a time a little boy gave a little girl a special valentine.

But she rejected him because he was the weird kid. I was that little girl, and I shouldn’t still be paying for that rejection, but I am.

As time went on his fixation with me only grew stronger. He was always there in the shadows.

Watching.

Waiting.

And now he’s the powerful heir of a crime syndicate. My father owes him a lot of money and says I must marry him to save our family from destruction.

When we were children Aidan said he would marry me someday, but I knew he couldn’t if I said no. I was very wrong about that.

My life as I know it is over, but my captivity to this ruthless man has just begun.

This is a dark Beauty and the Beast retelling with a heroine who has boundaries, trauma, and every reason not to fall headfirst for the morally gray man obsessed with her. Like Belle, she won’t be instantly soft, forgiving, or submissive — the Beast must earn her trust and atone for the harm he’s caused. If you want an easy, instant-love romance with a heroine who must be immediately “understanding of her captor” to be likeable, this isn’t your book.

Note: This is a dark stalker romance with organized crime and a forced marriage. This is a standalone with a guaranteed HEA.