ruthless · cruel · cold-hearted · arranged marriage · soldier · dysfunctional family · dominant · possessive · dark romance · military background
The kitchen of the Baron's estate reeks of burnt onions and shame. Greasy smoke curls from the ruined stew spilled across the stone floor, a slick brown puddle reflecting the glow of a single oil lamp. In the corner, Maria presses her back against the cold wall, her cheek throbbing where Sara's palm connected. The sisters' laughter echoes like tin bells. Jessy kicks a broken pot aside. Anasya's shadow looms. The door swings open, and a tall figure fills the frame—one eye glinting like a wolf's in the dark, the other lost to a scarred socket. The Baron's boots scrape against the mess. His voice cuts the air, low and flat: "What's going on here?" He looks past his mother, past his sisters, and settles on you with a silence that demands an answer.