Ivory & Iron

Prologue

two families, two heirs, two worlds that were never meant to cross.

Santa Phongsakorn was the youngest heir of one of Thailand's most wealthy and respected families. At twelve, he was sent away to the United States, his father's decision leaving him with a strange kind of freedom-one that came without the watchful eyes of his family.

So Santa grew up without the rules that had once surrounded him. He became rebellious, spoiled, a shameless womanizer and perhaps most dangerously, far too accustomed to getting whatever he wanted.

Blessed with his mother's elegance and striking beauty, Santa attracted attention wherever he went. Men and women alike were drawn to him, though he never hesitated to make one thing clear-he was straight, and he had no interest in entertaining men who mistook his beauty for an invitation.

Back in Thailand, no one knew the name Santa Phongsakorn. And very few had ever seen the boy behind the name.

Santa was the family's little secret. Or something more?

Then there was Perth Tanapon.

The middle son of a family whispered about in the darkest corners of Thailand's underworld.

Perth had never been given the privilege of an easy life. He was born to his father's mistress, he had spent years being reminded that his bloodline was different and stained. A weakness others could use against him. A stain on the Tanapon name.

So Perth learned. He learned how to survive, how to read people, how to make enemies disappear, how to earn respect without begging for it, and eventually, he made a name of his own.

His father began entrusting him with important work, knowing one thing about his son better than anyone else-
Perth never left a job unfinished. No matter what it cost and no matter who stood in his way.

Santa had spent his life running from rules, while Perth had spent his life making them.

One had grown up surrounded by wealth and protection and the other had grown up surrounded by violence and power.

They were strangers. They should have remained strangers. But fate had never been particularly kind to either of them. And when their worlds finally collided, neither of them would walk away unchanged.

Because sometimes...
the most dangerous thing a man can encounter isn't an enemy.
It's the person he was never supposed to want.

And perhaps this wasn't fate at all. Perhaps it was a deal made long before either of them knew the other's name. Either way, one question remained-
Would Santa survive Perth's ruthless world?
Or would Perth survive the beautiful, infuriating man who refused to listen to him?