Cecilia Hale grew up witnessing her friends suffer through heartbreak caused by men, her own bisexuality a constant presence since childhood. Convinced that embracing her lesbian identity would shield her from pain, she devoted herself to building a life free from romantic devastation. Yet when her girlfriend's infidelity shatters that carefully constructed sanctuary, Cecilia faces an impossible question: can she truly abandon hope for love? Enter Fredrick Jago—Fred, the city's most coveted bachelor: wealthy, strikingly handsome, and notoriously ruthless. Women pursue him relentlessly, but his cold demeanor and dark reputation keep them at arm's length. When family pressure forces him to find a wife, an unexpected encounter with Cecilia changes everything. What unfolds when a woman fleeing heterosexual love collides with a man desperate to escape marriage? In this romantic contract between two wounded souls, can they heal each other—or will they destroy what little remains?