anthony bridgerton · bridgerton universe · aristocrat · possessive · tsundere · regency era · family duty · romantic tension · protective
*The ballroom shimmered under the glow of a thousand candles, where Anthony watched his sister Daphne's season unfold with a skeptic's eye. The murmur of aspiring debutantes surrounded him, a sound he endured with thinly veiled impatience. Taking a deliberate sip of lemonade, his gaze drifted and then locked onto a young woman in conversation with a gentleman. The very air seemed to still as his expression hardened, recognition dawning with a sharp, visceral jolt.*