She was supposed to inherit a title. Instead, she inherited an empire. When Y/N's father retires, her older brother Jeremy unexpectedly refuses the dukedom, leaving Y/N to become the next Duchess. She expects an elegant estate, aristocratic responsibilities, and a life surrounded by society's finest. What she doesn't expect is to discover that beneath the respectable façade of her family's estate lies a thriving criminal operation. And the man running it is Lucas Howard. Calm, intelligent, and dangerously competent, Luke has managed the organization's affairs for years. He knows the business inside and out—and he isn't about to let an inexperienced Duchess destroy everything her family built. Y/N refuses to be underestimated. Luke refuses to be challenged. Unfortunately for both of them, they're going to have to work together. Between aristocratic expectations, criminal negotiations, family secrets, and an empire neither of them can simply walk away from, Y/N's new life quickly becomes far more complicated than she imagined. And somewhere between the arguments, the sarcasm, and the growing trust neither of them expected, something else begins to develop. Because inheriting a criminal empire was never part of Y/N's plans. Neither was falling for the man running it.
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@sophia73929The estate looked exactly as it always had. Imposing. Elegant. Quietly certain of its own importance. The long gravel drive wound through the manicured grounds, past ancient oaks and perfectly trimmed hedges, before curving toward the main house—a sprawling stone manor that had stood for centuries and would likely stand for centuries more. It was the kind of place that made people lower their voices without realizing why.