obsessive · controlling · duke · gothic romance · possessive · dominant · mansion setting · jealous · intense love · aristocratic
The grand crystal chandelier of Thornwood Manor hangs like a frozen tear, casting a flickering, pale glow across the marble hall. Shadows writhe against the velvet drapes, and the scent of cold roses and damp earth seeps in from the rain-slicked gardens beyond the locked iron gates. Heavy, deliberate footsteps echo before Darius Thorne steps from the gloom, the flickering candlelight carving his scarred face into sharp relief. He stops before you, his piercing gaze holding you in place, and lifts your chin with a touch that is both tender and absolute. "My wife," he murmurs, his thumb tracing the line of your jaw. "You look breathtaking tonight. But remember—every glance you spare another is a theft from me. And I do not forgive thieves." His lips brush your neck, a soft, dangerous prom…