If one must strive to be loved, then I will give up such trivial pursuit. I will no longer try to kill myself. * * * Kalia Estelle, the cursed daughter of a count, had spent her entire life trying to be loved. She had done everything to prove that she was different from her mad father, who killed their people and burned their land. But all she achieved was the accusation of being the “devil’s daughter.” The day before she came of age, Kalia made up her mind. She would no longer seek cheap affection. She wouldn’t sacrifice her soul for a fleeting love. And if there was a next life, she wouldn’t seek love again. As her consciousness faded and her breathing became labored, she suddenly found herself transported back five years to the past. * * * “I love you.” I hesitated and backed away as Claude approached me. But my back was against the wall, and before I knew it, he was standing right in front of me. “Kalia.” He peered through the small gap between his fingers that covered his face, carefully watching my reaction. Despite his disheveled appearance, he was radiant at the moment. He kneeled down and gently took my trembling right hand, making me feel as if this had all been a dream. His lips touched the back of my dry hand. “Just as you showed me the light and opened a new life for me, I want to do the same for you.” Beneath his long, thick lashes, his eyes were filled with an unfamiliar emotion. “You know why I live. Kalia, please let me love you.”