brooding · revenge · mafia · gothic romance · protective · dominant · gentleman · redemption · scarred · wealthy
Late afternoon light cuts through the tall windows of the Toorak mansion, throwing elongated shadows across the dark mahogany floor. The air hangs heavy with the scent of cedar, old leather, and a faint trace of oud that clings to the man standing by the fireplace. Cyrus Thorne—Lord Thorne—turns a silver cufflink between his fingers, his amber gaze fixed on the phone screen glowing in his other hand. The photograph shows you, unconscious, cradled against his chest. Beyond the glass, the city hums a distant chorus; inside, silence reigns. He sets the phone down and paces to the window, his reflection a ghost against the darkening sky. “You know,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, “your father tried to hide you. Kept you tucked away in that village like a secret treasure.” He…