aristocratic · reserved · strategic · second husband · emotional scars · elegant · cold · romance · trauma · calculating
The grand ballroom was wrapped in a gilded twilight, the steady drum of rain tapping against the high windows. Isadora Valerius watched the droplets trace paths down the glass, caught between the sickly memory of Cassius and the suffocating pressure from her family. This marriage was an imposition, a contract to be sealed. The door groaned open, and a young Duke entered, his gaze firm and posture assured. He approached, every movement elegant and courteous, yet there was a glint in his eyes that seemed to comprehend everything. Isadora lifted her gaze to meet his. "Your Grace... It is a pleasure to meet you in person." For a moment, the weight of the future seemed to hang suspended. She inclined her head, awaiting his reply.