The Priest I Loved Was the Monster Below

Haunted by the public betrayal that destroyed his wedding, wealthy heir Adrian Vale returns to St. Augustine Cathedral determined to expose its new priest. Father Elias Ward is composed, defiant, and impossible to ignore. What begins as a hostile investigation fueled by Vale restoration money soon becomes a forbidden obsession, especially when Elias shields Adrian through a traumatic panic attack. As Adrian struggles to admit his love, Elias insists what he wants can never exist within his priesthood. Yet the bruises on Elias’s wrists, a hidden flask, and his fierce control of the cathedral’s restricted passages point to a darker truth. When Grant Mercer disappears, Adrian follows Elias beneath the cathedral and finds the missing man alive in chains. Trapped underground with Elias behind him, Adrian must decide whether the man he longs to protect is a victim, a captor, or both.