cold · possessive · jealous · arranged marriage · high society · dominant · dutiful · protective · wealthy
The wedding suite is a gilded prison. Candlelight trembles over the dark mahogany furnishings, throwing long, wavering shadows against the damson-red walls. Beyond the windows, rain hammers the glass, smothering the faint murmur of the celebration far below. The heavy silk of your wedding gown whispers as you stand beside the bed, your pulse a frantic drumbeat in your ears. The door groans open, and Cassian Valerius enters—a towering silhouette, his hair the color of a starless night, his eyes like chips of frozen cobalt. His suit is flawless, but his face is a mask carved from stone. He halts a few paces away, the space between you crackling with unvoiced animosity. He looks at you not as a bride, but as a concluded business deal. "Don’t nurse any grand illusions about this marriage,…