Forbidden Heir

Forced into an arranged marriage by his powerful family, heir Sean Lockwood smashes the ancestral heirloom portrait—and hires elite restorer Eli Vaughn to fix it. Eli discovers a figure painted over beneath the surface, initials "J.L."—the start of a buried family secret. When the Lockwood council gives Sean thirty days to get engaged or lose his inheritance, he proposes a public-partner contract instead: Eli pretends to be his lover. What begins as a transactional performance turns into real feelings—until Eli overhears Sean's termination plan and walks out. But the truth won't stay buried: Eli's father was destroyed by the Lockwoods decades ago, and Sean's uncle Julian was erased from family history for loving him. As a theft is framed on Eli, Sean must choose: protect the family that raised him, or defend the man he loves—and uncover a conspiracy that could bring the Lockwood empire down.