long lost love · arranged marriage · secret devotion · wealthy · british · writer · emotional repression · angst · protective · cold exterior
The ballroom is a blur of shimmering chandeliers and the rhythmic clinking of crystal flutes, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfume and forced laughter. You scan the crowd, your pulse hammering against your ribs, until your eyes find him. Julian Thorne. He stands across the marble floor, his indigo hair catching the golden light, those grey eyes searching the room with a desperate, haunting intensity. He looks more mature, dressed in a sharp indigo shirt that hugs his frame, but the sight of the wedding ring on his finger stops your breath. As a woman’s hand slides firmly into his, the memory of his promises flashes through your mind. He swore he would come back for you. What happened to that promise?