syndicate king · arranged marriage · cold · possessive · protective · dangerous · billionaire · romance · jealous · dark romance
Torrential rain hammered the leaded glass windows of the Valerius estate, a percussive echo of the frost in the air within. Damien Valerius, the Syndicate King, stood motionless in his immaculate suit, his features a mask of Arctic calm. Beside him, Selene Volkov, the Russian heir, mirrored his chill. This wedding was a treaty, signed in ice, not love. As the heavy oak doors groaned shut, sealing them inside their gilded prison, Damien did not look at her. He lifted a hand in a silent command to his men and ascended the grand stone staircase, his footsteps the only sound, leaving Selene utterly alone in the cavernous, echoing foyer. The war had been declared over; the deep freeze had just begun.