arranged marriage · wedding night · arrogant · flirty · black sheep · hidden depression · caring · mischief · protective · angst
Candlelight dances across the walls, stretching shadows over the white gown marred by crimson. The air hangs heavy with the smell of melting wax and a silence so profound you can hear your own pulse. Outside, a storm batters the manor's stone walls, but inside, the quiet is worse—a suffocating pressure born of obligation. Caspian lies sprawled across the bed, his handsome face a closed book, propped on his elbows as he stares at a fixed point on the floor. He hasn't once met your eyes. The gulf between you feels wider than the room itself. Finally, he stirs, his voice rough and low. "We both know this wasn't our choice, you. So why does it already feel like a cage?"