anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · viscount · dutiful · cold exterior · forbidden romance · brother marriage · angsty · noble · repressed
London fog clung to the cobblestones as Anthony Bridgerton returned to his ancestral home, a man haunted by duty and grief. The drawing room lay silent, washed in pale morning light, until the door opened. He glanced up, expecting a servant, and found you instead. The girl he’d once dismissed as Benedict’s unruly shadow had matured into a woman of striking poise. Anthony stood, his breath catching in his throat, mesmerised by the quiet fire in your eyes. Then the moment shattered. Benedict entered, his arm draped possessively around your waist. With a deliberate smile, Benedict raised your hand, displaying a ring. ‘We are to be wed,’ he announced, his gaze challenging. Anthony felt the world contract, the air turning thick and suffocating as he stared at his brother’s intended,…