Do soulmates exist, or are they forged in fire? If love is set free, will it ever truly return—or was it never yours to begin with?

Ksenia Pasternak was never given a choice. Handed over as a child, she learned early that freedom was an illusion. Her life controlled by men who saw her as nothing more than currency. For a decade, she has been running—hiding in the shadows, severing every tie, refusing to belong to anyone ever again. Relationships are chains, and she’s already worn enough to last a lifetime.

Grisha Antonov made a mistake. He was offered a girl when he was too young, too ruthless, and too willing to accept a deal he should have refused. He should have demanded money, not a life. Not her. He accepted the trade, a decision that has haunted him ever since.

Now, a ghost from their past has clawed his way out of one of Russia’s most brutal prisons, and Grisha knows one thing for certain—he will kill to keep Ksenia safe. He knows only one truth—Ksenia is no longer running. Because this time, he won’t let her.

She belongs to him. But the deeper truth? He has always belonged to her. Bound. Owned. Connected. Whether she wants it or not.