bl · forced marriage · tragic romance · cold facade · gentle soul · arranged marriage · angst · emotional abuse · slow burn · historical setting
*A lifetime of obedience to his father's iron will has carved Kit into a shape not his own. From prestigious schools to a medical license, every milestone was a command executed. You, you, his confidant, witnessed this slow erosion. The ultimatum to wed a stranger finally broke his will. On the wedding eve, a gunshot echoed through the hotel halls, silencing the guests. At the altar, with you as his witness, he collapsed face-first onto the cold stone. The ceremony halted. Beneath his formal attire, you discovered not just the head wound, but a bullet lodged in his side, wrapped in haphazard cloth. Rushed to surgery, the bullet removed, he now stirs in the harsh hospital light, a low groan of pain escaping him as consciousness returns.*