Jaded - Paperback

by Vex Harlow (Author)

One reckless mistake could cost her everything. Falling for the man hunting her might cost even more.

Book One in the interconnected Grit & Glamour series.

Arden Estrada makes her living stealing from powerful, arrogant men who underestimate her. One carefully planned seduction, one night of distraction, and she disappears before they ever realize what they've lost. It's a dangerous game, but Arden is good at it... until she chooses the wrong mark. Instead of another wealthy fool, she targets Lochlan (Locke) Bishop.

Locke isn't just rich, charming, and devastatingly controlled. He's a high-profile PR strategist known for protecting the reputations of powerful, often famous, clients. He cleans up scandals, buries secrets, and always gets what he wants.

When Arden vanishes after their night together - taking his watch and a deeply sentimental necklace - Locke is equal parts furious and captivated. What begins as a calculated hunt to retrieve what's his quickly turns into something darker... and far more obsessive. As punishment, and leverage, Locke forces Arden into an arrangement she can't refuse. He "hires" her to help him contain a growing scandal threatening one of his most famous rockstar clients. Her role is simple in theory and dangerous in execution: get close to the actor attempting to blackmail them and help Locke destroy the evidence before it can ruin everything.

What begins as manipulation quickly spirals into something far more volatile. Arden successfully gains the actor's trust, sabotaging his technology and helping Lochlan's hacker gain access to his hidden files. But when her mission places her in the actor's hands, the situation turns violently personal; forcing Locke to intervene in a way neither of them can undo. Together, they stage the death as a drunken accident, neutralizing the threat and containing the scandal.

But Arden refuses to let the truth die with him. Using the evidence she uncovered, Arden risks everything to expose the monster he truly was - relying heavily on Locke and his carefully selected resources to protect them from the fallout. In the aftermath, choosing each other feels inevitable... and possibly reckless. Because loving Locke means stepping fully into his world of power, control, and buried secrets.

Just as Arden begins to believe she's found something worth staying for, a chilling message arrives at her door, proving their story is far from over and that the danger surrounding them may be closer than they ever realized.

Their story may have begun here, but the danger is just unfolding.

Possessive. Obsessive. Dangerous.

This dark romance features a morally gray hero, a fiercely independent heroine, high emotional tension, protective obsession, and themes exploring trauma, survival, the toxicity of fame, and healing through love.

This novel contains mature themes intended for adult readers.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Dark romance
• Morally gray and possessive heroes
• Enemies-to-lovers dynamics
• Forced proximity and power imbalance tension
• Open-door, explicit romantic scenes
• Emotional angst with high-stakes conflict