“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

It was a fresh morning of spring when the winds carried hints of winter and a taste of summer. The gentle sunlight streamed through the large glass windows and kissed the crystal chandeliers while embracing the grand hall in its warmth. 


Azrael was having his breakfast while his butler informed him about the schedule for the next few days. He paused when he realized that his master's eyes were distant. 


"Is there something wrong, Young Master?" the old butler asked. 


There was a chuckle as Azrael sighed and placed his knife down. He wondered if Anna's wounds were healed. A day had passed but that injury appeared so fresh and raw. 


A demon would never take that long to get healed. 


"Humans are so delicate," he said, "don't you think?" 


The butler, who himself was a human, replied with a knowing small smile. He had served his master for many decades, and thus he was one of the few trusted people who were made aware of the human soon-to-be duchess. 


The Surprise Present