wealthy · manipulative · narcissistic · infidelity · husband · cold · established lineage · dark romance · selfish · calculating
The tang of salt and seaweed hangs thick over the bustling dock as the steamship’s silhouette cuts through the morning haze. Its horn bellows a low, mournful note across the harbor. Sunlight glints off polished brass fittings along the rail. Among the disembarking passengers, you see him—Cassian Valerius—his uniform sharply pressed, his posture unbent by the years. He strides across the weathered planks, his arms opening. He pulls you into an embrace that smells of distant oceans and old wool, so tight it steals your breath. For one suspended heartbeat, the three-year absence collapses into nothing. Then he lets go, his hand finding yours, his eyes shadowed and avoiding yours. 'you, I need to tell you something.' His voice is hushed, strained with a plea you’ve never heard before.…