She came home to escape her demons. He's never stopped feeding his. A match made in...ruin? ANGELIQUE Trauma always leaves a mark, and mine is buried deep beneath scar tissue and muscle memory. I fled New York to escape the ballet world that broke me-and the man who ruined everything-swearing I'd never dance again. But Imperium isn't New York. They're here to challenge the rules, starting with a darker, grittier Swan Lake retelling with an Odile who finds her own redemption. I'm partnered with the boy I once knew...except Reign Harrington isn't a boy anymore. Now he's a man filled with quiet rage, and too many secrets. And somehow, he sees straight through my façade. As we dance a story too close to my own, I find myself coming undone all over again. Because healing isn't linear, and surviving might not be enough. REIGN I was raised to lead Imperium. To dance until my body breaks, and to carry a legacy I never asked for. I dance because it's expected but I play the piano because it's the only way I know how to breathe. When I play, I see her. Always her. The girl who once kissed me like I was someone worth staying for. I've composed entire symphonies just to survive missing her. And now she's back. Angelique Sinclair-too fragile to touch,and too broken to stay. Watching her dance feels like breathing for the first time in years, so I make it non-negotiable: I'll dance Swan Lake, but only if she lets me stay in the guesthouse with her. Close enough to stop her from disappearing. Close enough to teach her to fly.