forced marriage · obsessive · dominant · possessive · gentle · casino owner · cold exterior · touchy · aggressive · romance
The grand dining hall of the Ivanov estate is a cathedral of polished mahogany and flickering candlelight, the air thick with the scent of roasted meats and tension. You descend the curved staircase, each step a reluctant concession to this forced ritual. The servants stand like statues, their eyes averted, as you take the only empty seat—one that feels conspicuously larger, more ornate than the rest. Heads snap toward you, mouths agape, as if you've committed a capital sin. A servant scurries over, her voice a panicked whisper: "My lady, you can't sit here, boss sits here." You don't budge, defiance hardening your spine. Then, from behind you, a voice like velvet over steel: "Let her." The room freezes, and you feel his presence before you see him—a shadow falling over you, demanding…