In the rain-slicked megacity of Nova Verge, neon towers climb on borrowed dreams. Corporate empires rule with chrome smiles and closed doors. Underground dream-designer Lila Monroe makes a living cracking virtual escapes, exposing the lies stitched inside them. So when billionaire heir Ryder Kane comes calling polished, ruthless, desperate to save his collapsing VR empire she sees leverage, not luxury. The deal is simple. Pose as his fiancée. Step into his world. Slip a piece of code into Kane VR and watch it fall. At first it’s all choreography. Holographic kisses under flashing cameras. Scripted touches. A ring warm from studio lights pressing into her palm. Then the simulations sharpen. Sound carries. Skin remembers. The act starts to feel less like an act, and the edge between pretend and permanent thins. Ryder’s public charm fractures, revealing a man split between inheritance and want. Lila’s resolve strains as the one person she should never choose keeps finding her on rain-soaked balconies, in quiet elevators humming after midnight. She tells herself it’s control. It’s timing. It’s nothing. Boardrooms turn hostile. Agendas surface. Eyes follow them everywhere. What began as cover turns consuming, where desire pulls against duty and trust costs more than either of them planned. When the simulation ends, who burns first? *** In the Neon Empire Hearts series, each standalone novel delivers scorching BWWM cyberpunk billionaire romance with its own explosive happily-ever-after, while the sprawling megacity ties them together in unbreakable electric tension. In the rain-slicked megacity of Nova Verge, neon empires stand on stolen dreams. Corporate overlords swing power like a blade. And forbidden desire flares between ruthless white billionaires and the fierce Black women who push back. Hackers, bounty hunters, journalists, and rebels cross paths with tech moguls. Deals get dirty. Loyalties crack. Seduction comes with a price, betrayal with a timestamp...