They married with expectations. None of them included love. Edmond Dunsworth, Duke of Cromwell, needs a wife. Not a partner. Not a confidante. Just someone with a generous dowry and no inconvenient opinions. Anna Hanford, merchant's daughter and unwilling bride, is not what he signed up for—and she knows it. Their marriage begins not with vows of affection, but with mutual disdain.She refuses to be tamed. He refuses to be ignored. And somehow, they begin to see each other. Their exchanges are sharp, every glance a challenge. But as tempers flare and pride takes the lead, Edmond and Anna discover something surprising behind each argument: curiosity, chemistry, and the fragile stirrings of something neither one expected. Because love doesn't always arrive softly. Sometimes it enters shouting.Between insult and intrigue, hearts begin to shift. They didn't choose each other. Not really. But the more they speak—and listen—the more they begin to wonder: What if love isn't about winning? What if it's about meeting in the middle, seeing one another clearly, and daring to want what they never thought they could have?He bargained for her dowry. She fought for her freedom. And together, they stumble toward something real. If you've ever had to set your pride aside to see the person right in front of you—and discovered that love speaks loudest when you finally stop talking… this story is yours.

They married with expectations. None of them included love. Edmond Dunsworth, Duke of Cromwell, needs a wife. Not a partner. Not a confidante. Just someone with a generous dowry and no inconvenient opinions. Anna Hanford, merchant's daughter and unwilling bride, is not what he signed up for—and she knows it. Their marriage begins not with vows of affection, but with mutual disdain.She refuses to be tamed. He refuses to be ignored. And somehow, they begin to see each other. Their exchanges are sharp, every glance a challenge. But as tempers flare and pride takes the lead, Edmond and Anna discover something surprising behind each argument: curiosity, chemistry, and the fragile stirrings of something neither one expected. Because love doesn't always arrive softly. Sometimes it enters shouting.Between insult and intrigue, hearts begin to shift. They didn't choose each other. Not really. But the more they speak—and listen—the more they begin to wonder: What if love isn't about winning? What if it's about meeting in the middle, seeing one another clearly, and daring to want what they never thought they could have?He bargained for her dowry. She fought for her freedom. And together, they stumble toward something real. If you've ever had to set your pride aside to see the person right in front of you—and discovered that love speaks loudest when you finally stop talking… this story is yours.