Gilded Knife
In the velvet shadows of the Gilded Knife auction house, forensic art restorer Seraphine Vale infiltrates a private sale of a stolen Caravaggio to steal back the ledger that ruined her family. Ruthless security heir Nikolai Draven catches her in the vault and locks the building down, forcing them into a lethal game of leverage where every secret she decodes brings them closer to the truth—and to each other. Trapped between rival bidders, family betrayal, and the explicit heat of power exchange, Seraphine and Nikolai turn enemies-to-lovers tension into brutal honesty, obsessive protection, and very explicit surrender. As the stolen-art empire unravels, they must decide whether the ledger is a weapon or the first lock on a dangerous new alliance. Dark romance at maximum heat with heavy dialogue, morally gray obsession, and an HFN that leaves the war still burning. Free sample available.