The Rival Heir’s Forbidden Bride

She was promised to the heir of a rival family. She never expected him to become the one man she could not walk away from.
Alessia Romano knows that being born into a powerful mafia family means her future will never be entirely her own. When her father arranges her marriage to Nikolai Vescari, heir to one of her family's most dangerous rivals, she understands that the union is meant to secure an alliance, not give her a choice in love.
Nikolai has his own reasons for accepting the arrangement. Raised to protect the Vescari name and claim his place within the family, he knows that marrying Alessia could strengthen his position. But his bride is far more difficult to understand than he expected. She is determined, unwilling to be controlled, and carries a strength that challenges everything he believes about loyalty and power.
Their marriage begins with suspicion, guarded conversations, and the weight of two families' expectations. Yet as Alessia and Nikolai spend more time together, their hostility gives way to an attraction neither can easily ignore. Behind his cold exterior, Alessia begins to see a man burdened by expectations and secrets, while Nikolai discovers that the woman he was supposed to marry for political advantage may be the only person capable of understanding him.
But their growing feelings come at a dangerous price.
As old records, concealed identities, and disturbing revelations begin to surface, Alessia discovers that her family's history is not what she was led to believe. The secrets surrounding her mother, the truth behind a long-buried family tragedy, and the mysterious agreement connecting the most powerful mafia bloodlines threaten to destroy everything she and Nikolai are trying to build.
With rival families watching and loyalties being tested, they must decide how much they are willing to risk for each other.
When the man you were forbidden to love becomes the only person you can trust, will your marriage be strong enough to survive the truth?