He came to bury secrets. She inherited them. Neither expected to inherit a war.

Meredith has spent her life making herself indispensable on a Southern plantation - and invisible enough to survive it. She knows which doors to close, which questions not to ask, and exactly what the ledgers she keeps are hiding.

When Florian arrives, she expects him to glance at the books, find nothing worth his time, and go.

He doesn't.

Florian tells himself this is his chance to finally be useful to his father. He doesn't ask too many questions about why he was sent, or what exactly he's meant to find. He just needs to do the job and go home. Meredith has no such illusions.

When he starts asking the same questions she has never dared speak aloud, their uneasy alliance becomes something far more dangerous than either of them planned.

Working side by side, they are an unlikely pair in a world that has no place for them. As the evidence closes in on powerful men with everything to lose, Florian must choose between the father he came to please and the woman he can no longer imagine leaving behind.

Some debts are paid in money. Some are paid in courage.

A slow-burn BWWM historical romance ? closed-door, emotionally sweeping, and perfect for readers who love forbidden tension, class-crossed love, and happily-ever-afters that are truly earned.