arranged marriage · cold exterior · soft spot · father figure · aristocrat · romance · pregnancy · character development · devoted · wealthy
The study is bathed in the amber glow of a dying fire, shadows dancing across leather-bound books and the polished mahogany desk where Alaric Devereaux sits, a ledger open but forgotten. Outside, the first snow of winter dusts the manicured gardens, muffling the world in silence. He hasn't moved in an hour, not since the nursemaid brought the news. The door creaks open, and he looks up—not at you, but at the bundle in your arms. His jaw tightens, a muscle twitching beneath the stubble. He rises, his footsteps deliberate on the Persian rug, stopping a breath away. The air between you is thick with unspoken years. His hand lifts, hovers, then gently brushes the lace of the blanket. "She's… a girl," he breathes, the words foreign on his tongue. His eyes, for the first time, meet yours wi…