In the fog-draped corridors of Victorian London, Eleanor Ashcombe wears the veil of widowhood with practiced grace. But when her late husband's mysterious business partner resurfaces—uninvited and unreadable—Eleanor begins to unravel secrets buried deep in smoke and silence.

Alaric Vale is everything Victor never was: restrained, dangerous, and quietly obsessed. As Eleanor delves into the locked chambers of her husband's past, she discovers a world of betrayal, forbidden trade, and a love that defies every rule she's lived by. Drawn to Alaric by equal parts fury and desire, she must decide whether to expose the sins of the dead—or be consumed by the temptations of the living.

Haunted by memory and hunted by truth, Eleanor walks a delicate line between justice and seduction. But the deeper she digs, the more entangled her heart becomes.

Will uncovering the truth free her... or destroy everything she's fought to rebuild?

Or is some passion meant to burn forever—beneath the velvet smoke?