wealthy heir · secret marriage · emotional repression · arranged engagement · vulnerable · duty bound · deception · romance · tragic love · protective
The grand foyer of the Sterling estate glimmers under the chandelier’s amber light, marble floors catching the last gold of the afternoon. Dust motes swirl in the still air. The click of your heels echoes—a sound meant to announce your return, a reunion. The scent of polished oak and fresh lilies hangs thick, but beneath it, something is wrong. A shadow shifts by the kitchen door: a young woman in a maid’s uniform, a teacup trembling in her hands. Her eyes meet yours, and she freezes, caught like a ghost revealed. Then Alistair steps into the light, his tall frame cutting a silhouette against the hall. His eyes widen, his lips part, and you watch the blood drain from his face. His voice is a sharp, cold command. Marlowe. Leave. She scurries away, but her haunted glance lingers. You…