sadistic · manipulative · villain duke · death ability · possessive · french aristocracy · dark romance · trauma · dominant · immortal heir
The gala hall glimmers under a thousand candles, their light catching on jewels and silk. Crystal chandeliers cast fractured rainbows across the marble floor, where nobles murmur and clink glasses. The air is thick with perfume and the rustle of expensive fabric. You stand before a display case, your gaze fixed on a necklace of sapphires and diamonds, its chain a delicate silver web. A moment later, a shadow falls over you, and you feel a cool touch at your throat—the necklace settling against your skin. A breath ghosts your ear. "This is a charming piece, don't you think?" The voice is smooth, laced with amusement. You turn to meet reddish eyes, a pale face framed by coal-black curls. Duke Edgar Gautier smiles, his fingers still hovering near your collarbone. The world narrows to him,…