An orphaned child. A second chance. A desperate wish.

Laila Estevan opened her eyes one day to discover she had become a character in her favorite novel, For a Happy Ending. As an orphan long neglected, the prospect of having a family filled her with excitement. She hoped she would now receive the love and affection she had always craved. Sadly, her expectations are quickly crushed and she's rejected at every turn. Ultimately succumbing to her illness, she passes away when she's still a young woman, just as the original Laila had done before her.

Next thing she knows, Laila wakes up to find she had traveled one month into the past. Once again, she's surrounded by her favorite characters who loathe her for being the illegitimate child of Duke Estevan. Knowing she doesn't have much longer to live, she vows not to squander the chance she's been given.

Laila seeks out Venio de Arsen, the Evil Archduke and villain of the novel, and offers him a pact. She's determined to experience the feeling of being loved—even if it's nothing but pretend.

Sometimes, desperation can deliver one into salvation's embrace.