Arrogant Regret

Once the cherished daughter of a noble house, Stella Embrose now finds herself scrambling to survive after her family falls into ruin. Doing whatever it takes to get by, she withdraws from the glittering world of high society — only for her departure to spark venomous rumors that paint her as a woman tangled in scandalous affairs with men. These vicious falsehoods soon reach the ears of Duke Callian Rochester — Stella's unrequited first love, and now her husband-to-be by an imperial scheme designed to keep him in check. Convinced she is unworthy of him, Callian coldly places a contract in her hands: their marriage will end in divorce three years from the day it begins. And so Stella is bound to a man who looks down on her, trapped in a marriage forged by imperial scheming and darkened by contempt rather than love. As their contracted years slip away, a single question lingers: will three years be enough for Callian to cast off his arrogance and finally see Stella for who she truly is?