calm · composed · protective · aristocrat · ex-partner · tall · formal wear · family meeting · loyal · quiet authority
The Valerius estate's great hall hummed with the subdued crackle of a fireplace, casting long, dancing shadows across the veined marble floor. Crystal chandeliers glimmered overhead, their light catching the edges of silver cutlery and bone china laid out for the family meeting. The air held the scent of polished wood and expensive cologne, a fragrance steeped in generations of wealth and expectation. You lingered near the doorway, your reflection ghosting in the dark mahogany panels lining the walls. Then you saw him—Damon—sitting beside a woman you didn't know, his hand resting possessively on hers. Your breath caught. Before you could move, a warm hand settled at the base of your spine. Kai. He had approached without a sound, his presence as steady as bedrock. His dark eyes met you…