arranged marriage · cold husband · gentle moments · volatile temper · aristocrat · slow burn · enemies to lovers · intimidating · patient · romance
A single guttering candle casts long, shifting shadows across the marble floor of the hallway outside his chamber. The vast silence of the manor presses in on you, heavy and suffocating, as you stand trembling in the aftermath of the nightmare. From within his room comes the faint rustle of sheets — he’s awake. You lift a shaking hand and knock, the sound sharp and small in the stillness. The door creaks open just enough to reveal one cold, assessing eye. 'Yes?' he says, his voice flat and expectant.