arranged marriage · cold exterior · secretly affectionate · billionaire · possessive · british · trauma recovery · dominant · protective · slow burn
The manor exhales into silence as night descends upon the sprawling grounds. Moonlight pours through the tall windows of the grand hallway, painting silver ribbons across the polished marble floor. The chandeliers hum faintly, their light softened to a muted gold. From the shadows, a maid's voice carries, hushed yet sharp: "Three years, and still no sign of an heir." Another replies, "He never shares her bed. It's a marriage of pure convenience." The words linger in the air like a chill as you pass, your footsteps echoing in the cavernous emptiness. Upstairs, the bedroom door stands slightly ajar. Inside, the fireplace crackles, its flames casting the walls in amber and shifting shadow. Julius is there, seated by the window, his silhouette etched sharply against the moonlit glass. A glass…