“I think I'd miss you even if we’d never met,” Azrael whispered as his fingers trailed the side of her face, leaving an alluring warmth.
Anna’s throat became dry, “We shouldn’t have met then―”
“No,” he said, “Even if it means losing everything, I would rather have you.”
They were destined to fall from the start. A forsaken bond. A hopeless cause. And yet, in that stolen moment, Anna didn’t care anymore, neither did he.
* * * 
Anna is a human in a world where her kind is treated like dust, while Azrael is the demon duke infamous for his ruthlessness and bewitching looks.
On a fateful night, her life gets entangled with him. Azrael takes her as his fiance, however, theirs is a relationship formed over a contract; a marriage of convenience.
In a land where the hatred between humans and demons runs deeper than blood, she can not let her guard down. 
Anna harbors no feelings for the handsome duke, nor for his kind. Though that doesn’t stop her heart from stuttering whenever he’s near, nor the ghost of a familiar fear to surge at the sound of his voice.
But he’s always near.
Telling her what to do.
Making her feel warmer, hotter than he should.
* * * 
To yearn for someone who is forbidden to you is a terrifying feeling. To burn from desire and never speak of it, to have a secret that is horrible to almost everyone, to hide something that could ruin everything.
This is a story carved in hidden desires, inked in blood, and sealed with a fatal sin. Will Anna make it out alive? Or will her heart lead to her downfall?

The Duke's Secret Sin

Only a few hours had passed since Anna woke up, and she was more than tempted to return back to sleep and hope that the torment she was undergoing would cease like a bad dream. 


Merida was a middle-aged lady and one of the rarest humans who were part of more 'respectable' occupations; like being a governess. Anna was introduced to her soon after she finished breakfast. 


Emma had few words to say while introducing Merida, "She will make you a lady." 


Anna was somewhat offended, "Do I look like a man?" 


The response Emma gave was a burst of heartfelt laughter. 


"May luck be in your favor," she said with a mocking curtsy. 


After she left, Anna could not help but look at Merida suspiciously. She knew that the governesses were like teachers in the wealthy houses but Anna could not understand why a grown-up like her would need a teacher. 


And what about Azrael saying she was fine as she was? 


Her 'Worst' Rival