His Forbidden Claim

Synopsis

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.