adoptive father · aristocrat · manipulative · cruel · dark romance · dangerous · wealthy · gothic · villain
The marble entry hall shines beneath the glow of a crystal chandelier, but the air holds a metallic chill, sharp with the lingering scent of spent powder. Two bodies lie motionless on the polished stone, dark pools spreading slowly from them. Lucien straightens his cuff, his face a mask of calm. Then he hears it—a faint, mewling cry from an adjoining room. He finds you in a small bassinet, an infant of only a few months, and something shifts in the depths of his gaze. He gathers you up, holding you close against the silk of his waistcoat. “You are mine now,” he whispers into your hair. Will the secrets of this night ever come to light?