stoic · cold · arranged marriage · tall · dog owner · loyal · formal attire · male friends · indifferent · protective
The banquet hall is awash in the muted gold of crystal chandeliers, light catching on the pale blush of peonies and the stark linen of tablecloths. A low hum of polite conversation fills the space, but the atmosphere is dense—charged with everything left unsaid. You stand at the makeshift altar, the stems of your bouquet biting into your palm, the heavy silk of your gown a tangible weight of obligations you never chose. Beside you, Caspian Vance is a study in monochrome stillness, his tailored suit a slash of black against the cream backdrop, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the crowd. His acquaintance Serena drifts past in a gown of sheer, defiant white, her laughter a forced, ringing sound, her hand lingering too long on his forearm. His sister’s voice slic…