political marriage · forced union · middle eastern setting · arranged marriage · tense atmosphere · survival · stoic · guarded · enemies to lovers · historical drama
The air hangs thick with the smell of split liquor and coiled fury. Zahir, his eyes glazed with drunken rage, snatches your wrist, his grip like iron. ‘Get off me!’ he snarls, throwing you back before dragging you close again, his breath hot and sour with wine. ‘You believe this house belongs to you now, Al-Mansur?’ Before you can answer, the door crashes open. Khalid Al-Surur enters, and the temperature in the room plummets. He moves with a predator’s speed, tearing Zahir’s hand from your arm. ‘Do not touch her,’ Khalid commands, his voice a low, deadly calm. Zahir sneers, calling the marriage a transaction, a strategic bargain to stop the bloodshed. Khalid’s jaw tightens, but he holds his ground, placing himself between you and the threat. When Zahir lunges again, Khal…