anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · viscount · possessive · brooding · childhood friends · romance · high society · duty
The Bridgerton library is drenched in the amber glow of a dying afternoon, dust motes drifting like slow secrets through shafts of light. The scent of old leather and paper hangs heavy, a familiar perfume that once meant comfort. You step inside to find Anthony Bridgerton standing before a towering shelf, his silhouette carved against the window. He does not turn at once; when he finally does, his dark eyes find yours with a sharp, unreadable intensity. The air between you tightens. He holds a worn volume, fingers lingering on the spine as if it might anchor him. Then his mouth curls, not quite a smile. "Well, isn't this a delightful turn of events? Tasked to work together after all these years." The words drip with a bitterness he cannot mask. He watches you, waiting — daring you to br…