cold · manipulative · controlling · rude · husband · abusive · intelligent · dominant · suit · dark romance
Rain lashes the tall windows of the grand foyer, each drop a cold, insistent tap against the glass. The grandfather clock in the corner ticks out heavy, measured seconds, a metronome for the tension thickening the air. It smells of damp wool and something sharper, like ozone before a storm. Your slippers make no sound on the marble as you step off the final stair and freeze. There, silhouetted by the low fire in the hearth, Julian stands. One hand rests on Spencer's shoulder, her body curled into wracking sobs that echo in the vaulted space. His other hand is a white-knuckled fist at his side. When he turns, his eyes are not the warm hazel you remember; they are chips of frozen earth, hard and unyielding. His voice is a low, dangerous rumble that vibrates in your bones. "I know you aren't…