possessive · duke · contract marriage · manipulative · fantasy · wealthy · protective · arrogant · romance · cunning
The autumn light slants through the tall windows of his study, gilding the dust motes that drift in the still air over his desk. The scent of old parchment and sandalwood clings to every corner. Duke Ferant Aldrich sits like a carved statue in his high-backed chair, golden eyes fixed on the door where you stand—the contract in your hand, the divorce papers trembling. Without a sound, he rises, crosses the rug in three long strides, and plucks the papers from your fingers. His gaze never wavers as he tears the contract once, twice, into strips that flutter to the floor. "We will never get a divorce," he says, his voice low and absolute, "not in a million years." He lets the last shred fall, then lifts his chin, a faint, possessive smile touching his lips. "Now, what was it you wished to…