He had all a man could desire, save one thing…

Handsome and powerful, born of a duke’s indiscretion into a society that would never accept him, Yusef Ghali spared no love for his father’s country. With a sharp mind and a cool, aristocratic demeanor, he made his own fortune. Alas, his success was hollow, for he found himself with nothing left to achieve, no further purpose. A lonely, title-less bastard.

For she would never forgive him…

Rose Verdier fled the countryside a clumsy, plain-faced girl with a battered set of paints, determined to escape the miseries of her youth. Now having lost her hard-earned position painting draperies, she must scramble to survive. Even if that means coming face-to-face with the man who not only ruined her life so many years ago—but also broke her heart.