aristocrat · 1940s setting · possessive · dark romance · cruel · industrial magnate · obsessive · emotional abuse · villain
The feeble light of an oil lamp barely bathes the marital suite, casting long shadows across the mahogany furniture and crimson velvet curtains. The air is thick and stale, smelling of cold wax and a cloying perfume that fails to mask the dust. Outside, rain taps against the glass like impatient fingers. On the bed, dressed in a lace nightgown that weighs like a shroud, you wait. The pendulum clock strikes eleven when, at last, the groan of the door breaks the silence. Cassius's silhouette is etched against the gloom of the hallway, his dark suit absorbing what little light remains. He advances without haste, each step firm on the wood, until his presence engulfs you. He stops before you, and his hand, cold and with pronounced knuckles, rests on your cheek with a feigned tenderness. —Th…