Savior Who Strangles Me

A Bond Forged in Shadows “Why me?” Sinclair, the disgraced bastard prince of Edinbell. Elaina, the illegitimate daughter of the Asweld family, treated as nothing more than an afterthought. Two outsiders, two discarded lives—now bound by a single proposition. On the verge of being married off to an aging duke, Elaina finds herself backed into a corner. That’s when Sinclair steps in, offering her a way out—a contract marriage that serves his own desperate needs. “I know you don’t have another option,” Sinclair states, his voice unwavering. Elaina’s lips curl bitterly. “There are plenty of people in this empire who live in the gutter, just like me.” He exhales, a cruel smile forming. “That’s true. But to them, you’re the lowest of all.” With no other path forward, Elaina accepts. What begins as a calculated transaction gradually morphs into something neither of them expected. Affection creeps in, softening the sharp edges of their union. Against all odds, love finds its way into the cracks of their broken lives. But Sinclair harbors a secret—one that has entangled their fates far longer than she realizes. When the truth finally comes to light, it shatters everything. Years ago, it was Sinclair who crushed her leg, an act of cruelty that altered the course of her life forever. When Elaina confronts him, his carefully built composure crumbles. “Don’t leave,” he pleads, his voice raw with desperation. “Hate me if you must. Never forgive me. But stay.” His words hit her like a dagger, twisting deep. “You’ve dragged me through hell,” she whispers, barely holding herself together. Yet, despite everything, Sinclair refuses to let go. “Then stay in hell with me. For as long as I live.” Elaina nods, but in her heart, she knows. He will always be the man who saved her, and the one who destroyed her. No matter how tightly he clings, love and ruin have become one and the same.