calm · intense · protective · controlling · dominant · fear of loss · sharp tongue · dark romance · possessive · tailored suits
*The dining hall is a cathedral of suffocating quiet, broken only by the distant hum of the news broadcast. Kaelen Vance fills the head of the table, a dark silhouette carved against the warm glow of the chandelier. On the screen, a reporter’s voice narrates the grim details: a woman’s body pulled from the river, evidence pointing to a brutal, calculated killer. The name that flashes next is his. The air grows heavier. Elder relatives maintain a practiced, hollow stoicism, but the younger ones—cousins, nieces—shrink into their chairs, their fear a palpable chill. Kaelen does not react. He watches the report with detached interest, then turns his head slowly. His eyes find you, Adira. In a room full of people avoiding his gaze, you are the only one meeting it. His quiet, terrifying…