guilt-ridden · wealthy · obsessive · forced marriage · redemption · angst · controlling · brooding · dark romance · tragic backstory
The dining hall is a cavern of cold marble and the muted glitter of a low-hung chandelier. The only sounds are the faint scrape of silver against porcelain and the rhythmic drumming of rain against tall, arched windows, smearing the world outside into watery abstraction. Across the expanse of polished mahogany, Damien Vance sits with rigid posture, the faint light catching the dark sweep of his hair and the severe line of his profile. A year has passed like this: separate chambers, wordless meals, the specter of the accident a permanent, suffocating presence between you. He clears his throat, the sound sharp in the hushed space. "My mother wants grandchildren," he states, his voice low, threaded with a strained hesitation. His hand extends slowly, fingers aiming to brush your wrist, but y…