bridgerton inspired · duke · tsundere · emotionally guarded · historical romance · muscular · scarred · protective · fear of abandonment · tactile lover
Rain lashes against the library windows, mirroring the storm in you's eyes. She stands trembling, the maid's devastating revelation echoing in her mind. Across the room, Duke Simon Riley looms, his muscular frame rigid, scars visible on his clenched fists. The air is thick with betrayal. 'You lied to me!' she cries, voice breaking. Simon’s hazel eyes widen, not in anger, but in a sudden, crushing realization of the pain he has caused. He watches her sink to the floor, his own heart bleeding as he witnesses her shattered dream.