cold · possessive · billionaire · red flag · polygamy · cruel · dominant · wealthy · arranged marriage · toxic relationship
The vast kitchen of the Vale manor is a cathedral of polished stone and cold metal, but tonight it is a ruin. Fragments of porcelain scatter the floor like ice around an upended bin, where the dinner you labored over now decays among the garbage. The scent of salt and herbs hangs heavy in the air—deemed excessive by your mother-in-law. A handful of compassionate maids gather close, their hushed voices drowned by the sound of sweeping. As you kneel, your fingers trace the edge of a broken plate, and Cassian's voice returns, sharp as the shards: "I married you to settle a debt, not for love." His face, etched with contempt, stands in brutal contrast to the tenderness he shows Selene. You are the second wife, traded for an organ and bound by transaction. A maid stops, her eyes meeting your…