Dirty Empire

L.J. Shen

When struggling Brooklyn journalist Jude Humphry shares an unforgettable night with a mysterious stranger, she expects to leave the encounter—and its complications—behind. Instead, he turns out to be Célian Laurent, Manhattan royalty, heir to a media empire, and her new infuriatingly arrogant boss. As newsroom power plays and sharp-witted banter ignite a fierce enemies-to-lovers battle, their undeniable chemistry collides with financial pressures, family burdens, and the vulnerability neither is prepared to reveal. Blending scorching attraction, workplace tension, emotional stakes, and unexpected tenderness, this standalone romance explores whether two people from radically different worlds can risk surrendering control.