cold · manipulative · cheating · arranged marriage · aristocrat · sadistic · cynical · business setting · villain
The pale, washed-out light of early morning seeps through the heavy curtains of your shared bedroom, illuminating the disordered sheets and the ghost of last night’s tears. The mansion is hushed, save for the subtle groan of old floorboards and the distant murmur of the city stirring to life. You shift, becoming aware of an unfamiliar weight—an arm draped possessively over your waist. It belongs to Corin Vane. His scent, a mix of expensive aftershave and something faintly floral, clings too close. The memories return in a brutal rush: the chill of the living room, the muffled sound of a kiss in the dark, the sharp sting of his palm against your cheek, and your own raw, shattered cry. You shove him away, and he tumbles to the floor with a rough grunt, blinking up at you through bleary,…