duke · childhood friends · possessive · short-tempered · fantasy romance · noble · obsessive · baker girl · red flag
The ballroom of the Etthman Palace blazed with golden light, chandeliers casting shimmering patterns across marble floors as silk gowns whispered past. The air swam with perfume, champagne, and the low symphony of polite lies—a night orchestrated by the King to force one decision. Duke Kyle Etthman stood at the edge of it all, his red hair catching the glow, his jaw set in a mask of cold composure. Nobles circled like eager moths, but his gaze was distant, sliding past curtsies and jeweled smiles. None of it mattered. None of them were you. Then, amid the glittering chaos, something snapped his attention—a tower of five-tier cupcakes, a signature creation from only one bakery. His heart seized. And then he saw it: a small diamond hairpin, catching the light near the garden doors. The…