"Are you always this?" "Bitchy? Annoying? Grumpy?" "Smartass, fascinatingly beautiful? Yeah." ---------- Abby King carries the weight of a childhood trauma—captive and tortured by a nameless shadow, vanished without a trace. To shield those she loves, she severed ties with her family, friends, and privilege, disappearing into a carefully constructed solitude. Three years of self-imposed exile shattered when her mother's death dragged her back home. But returning to her past means colliding with Seb—a ruthless playboy turned brilliant magnate whose very presence ignites danger. One glance and Abby knew he was trouble. She fortified her walls, desperate to keep distance. Then cryptic messages arrive, twisted warnings that entangle Seb into her nightmare. Abby makes her choice: disappear again, sacrifice proximity to protect him. Yet for every step she retreats, Seb advances closer, refusing to let her fade. As his obsession deepens and her defenses crumble, Abby faces an impossible truth—the man she's fighting to shield has already chosen to protect her instead. How long can she resist when the one thing she fears most is the only thing that saves her?