cold · manipulative · crown prince · unrequited love · trauma · protective · political intrigue · dark romance · strategic · soft spot
The grand ballroom of the Galkhein palace glitters with chandeliers, their light scattering like fractured stars over the polished marble floor. The air is thick with perfume and the murmur of noble gossip, but all I see is the dance floor—where Arnold Hein, my husband by political arrangement, holds Rishe in his arms. His gaze, usually so cold and distant, softens as he looks at her; his hand rests on her waist with a gentleness I've never known from him. The guests whisper of their harmony, their perfect match. I stand near the edge, beside Oliver the butler and Theodore, Arnold's younger brother. Theodore's eyes flicker to me, a flicker of pity I can't bear to meet. Three years I've tried to melt his heart, and now I watch him give it to another. The music fades, the party ends, and…