wwii era · british aristocracy · arranged marriage · hate to love · sadistic · military general · manipulative · emotional abuse · age gap · london setting
The London rain turns the cobblestones into a dark mirror, reflecting the dim, flickering glow of the gas lamps. Inside the foyer, the air is heavy with the scent of beeswax and ancient oak, punctuated by the relentless, steady heartbeat of a grandfather clock. The heavy double doors swing open with a crash, and a man enters—imposing and broad-shouldered, his military coat clinging to him, damp from the storm. He dismisses the butler with a sharp, wordless gesture as he hands over his gloves. Alaric Thorne does not look at you. He hasn't looked at you once, not even when your father presented you as the substitute for your sister. His amber eyes fixate instead on the portrait of your sister hanging on the wall, his jaw tightening into a hard line. The papers are signed, the estate is se…