Kawareta Pride

Zara Evans sacrificed her education to shoulder the crushing medical debt left behind by her ailing aunt. Fiercely independent and relentlessly hardworking, she stands in stark contrast to the polished high-society women who usually orbit Nikolai Komarov. Where others seek luxury and status, Zara simply fights to survive, making her an anomaly in his carefully curated world of wealth and privilege. Nikolai, however, is a man who has long since locked away his emotions. Abandoned by his mother, who chose a new life over her own son, he learned early that affection comes with a price. He is accustomed to acquiring companions who can be bought and kept, yet Zara’s unwavering pride makes such an arrangement impossible. Though she refuses to be owned, Nikolai finds himself equally incapable of offering the genuine love she truly desires, leaving them trapped between attraction and emotional walls. As their lives intertwine, a delicate struggle unfolds between a woman who will not compromise her dignity and a man terrified of vulnerability. Whether Zara possesses the strength to thaw Nikolai’s guarded heart and teach him how to love remains uncertain. Kawareta Pride was digitally published in English as Too Proud to be Bought by Harlequin/SB Creative Corp.