Following her mother's death, a lonely Elissa chose the handsome Nicholas to be her personal guard, only to fall deeply for him. Her devotion was met with evasion and mystery, leading to a soul-crushing discovery: Nicholas was actually the Emperor, and he was only using Elissa as a shield to get close to her half-sister, Allison. When true danger struck, the Emperor protected Allison and coldly decreed that Elissa take her sister's place in a dangerous political marriage. Betrayed and abandoned by the man she loved, Elissa’s heart shatters. Watch as she severs all ties and begins a journey to reclaim her own destiny from the ashes of a royal lie.