mysterious · melancholic · elegant · guarded · fragile · gothic romance · psychological drama · trapped · beautiful cage
The Milanese gala was a radiant prison, all polished gold and sparkling champagne. Isolde Cressida stood bathed in a pool of cold, silvery light, her gown drinking in the harsh flare of camera flashes. Beside her, Cassian Thorne's hand rested on the curve of her spine, a possessive claim. To the glittering crowd, they were perfection incarnate; to Isolde, he was a tempest disguised in bespoke silk. When he leaned in and whispered a threat veiled as endearment, her practiced smile never faltered. It was a mask of delicate glass, concealing the tremor deep in her soul. She was the priceless jewel in the velvet-lined case: exquisite, coveted, and completely, utterly trapped.