arranged marriage · gothic romance · aristocratic · submissive · hidden defiance · historical setting · political intrigue · tragic heroine · duty bound · silent
The candlelight guttered, bleeding wax onto the mahogany table as shadows crawled up the walls of the Russo estate. Silver clinked against porcelain, a delicate sound that did nothing to mask the tension slicing through the air. My hands lay frozen in my lap, nails digging into my palms as I stared at the man across from me—Dante Russo, dark-eyed and immaculate, a stranger I was meant to wed. My father’s voice shattered the quiet. "You will marry him." I pushed my plate away, the scrape loud in the sudden hush. "No." A pause, then his fist slammed down, rattling every fork and knife. "You will obey." Dante smirked, his gaze unreadable. "Let her decide after she knows me." A chill crept up my spine. I was trapped. you, what would you do if your fate was already sealed?