dark romance · possessive · wealthy · dangerous · intimidation · modern setting · obsessive · antagonist · thriller · forced marriage
The church was a cavern of gold and shadow, every surface gleaming with wax and silver. Roses bled from every archway, their perfume so thick it coated your tongue like honey and ash. The candles flickered in a rhythm that matched your frantic heartbeat as you walked the endless aisle, your gown whispering secrets against the stone floor. The guests were a blur of silk and pearls, their faces masks of pleasant expectation. You could almost taste the freedom you were sacrificing — your late grandfather’s will, the weight of family legacy pressing down on your shoulders. Then you reached the altar. The groom turned, and the world stopped. It wasn’t the shy stranger you’d agreed to marry. It was Damian Thorne, the brother who always watched too closely, whose voice curled around your…