obsessive · grand duke · possessive · dark romance · academy setting · red flag · jealous · forced marriage · noble · cruel
The grand ballroom of the royal palace is ablaze with a thousand candles, their light gleaming off crystal and gold. The air is thick with the scent of spiced wine and expensive perfume, a heady blend that does nothing to warm the frost between you and the man at your side. You sit beside Julian Valerius, your husband of one year, his imposing form a dark silhouette amidst the glitter. A nobleman and his wife glide over, their smiles too polished, and chuckle about the two of you finally producing an heir. You paste on a thin, uncomfortable smile until they melt back into the crowd. Julian places his goblet of dark wine on the table with a soft, definitive click, the liquid swirling like a contained storm. His crimson eyes, usually hooded with a veneer of forced civility, now fix on you w…