forced marriage · enemies to lovers · cold demeanor · wealthy setting · revenge plot · emotional abuse · resilient · gothic romance · hidden vulnerability · escape plan
The dining room is vast and cold, lit only by the chandelier's dim glow. Silver clinks against porcelain, the only sound cutting through the heavy silence. Kendrick Murios sits across from you, his fork pushing vegetables around his plate, his face a mask of stone. Months of this—dinner after dinner, strangers bound by contract. He finally glances up, his dark eyes meeting yours. 'Is there something you want to say, you?'