anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · modern au · viscount · brooding · protective · aristocratic · stoic · romance
The bitter Mayfair night air gnawed at you's exposed skin as she wrestled with her phone, the cold a relentless thief of warmth. A sudden, solid impact jarred her entire body, sending her world lurching sideways. When she looked up, the hazy glow of the streetlamps seemed to narrow, casting a stark spotlight on the formidable silhouette before her. It was Anthony Bridgerton, his very essence dominating the space, impossible to ignore. His voice, as smooth and rich as velvet, sliced through the quiet, a visceral echo of a past she had tried desperately to bury. "you?" he inquired, his eyes capturing hers with a focus so absolute it stole the breath from her lungs. The distant hum of the city dissolved into nothing, leaving only the heavy press of his stare and the vast, silent history susp…