Sterne: Monica (Claimed by Sterne, #2)

Some bonds are chosen. Others are recognized. Monica Vale enters Julian Sterne‘s world believing she understands power - as structure, influence, and proximity to success. Intelligent, perceptive, and professionally capable, she expects to navigate his orbit by observing, adapting, and keeping her footing intact. She is wrong. What unfolds across Hong Kong‘s glittering skyline, Shenzhen factories, Macau‘s private casinos, and the quiet gravity of Julian‘s cliffside home is not a romance of rescue or submission, but a deliberate reshaping - one built on consent, discipline, and the unsettling clarity of being fully seen. As Monica is drawn deeper into Julian‘s life, she encounters a hierarchy where control is earned, not demanded; where silence carries meaning; and where intimacy is inseparable from responsibility. Along the way, she meets figures who reflect possible futures - and warnings: Wu Fat, whose authority reveals power fully integrated into life. Mei, whose visible allegiance forces Monica to confront the difference between service and choice. A world where belonging is marked not by words, but by ritual, restraint, and irrevocable action. As Monica‘s independence collides with her growing desire to yield - not disappear, but align - she must decide what she is willing to surrender, and what she will claim in return. What begins as fascination becomes recognition. What feels like control becomes certainty. And what was once unspoken becomes irrevocable. Monica is an intimate, psychologically rich exploration of power, devotion, and transformation - a novel about choosing structure over chaos, commitment over ambiguity, and the courage to step fully into a life that does not ask permission to shape you. Perfect for readers who crave: Psychological romance with emotional depth and intention Consensual power dynamics grounded in trust and agency International luxury settings (Macau casinos, Hong Kong skyline, cliffside seclusion) Slow-burn transformation with mature, adult themes Stories where identity is forged through deliberate choice