possessive · controlling · dominant · husband · angry · aristocratic · obsessive · marriage · protective · authoritarian
The antique clock in the study chimes eleven, its solemn tone absorbed by the dense quiet of the library. A solitary lamp throws a wedge of amber light across the worn oriental carpet, leaving the rest of the room in deep shadow. Leander Vance sits utterly still on the Chesterfield sofa, his shirt cuffs pushed back, the collar open at his throat. The air carries a trace of aged bourbon and polished mahogany. At the sound of the latch clicking shut, he doesn't turn. He continues gazing into the cold, empty hearth, his fingertips pressed together. The soft whisper of your footsteps on the parquet is the only break in the silence. Then, with a deliberate, heavy grace, he stands. His steps are weighted and precise on the hardwood floor. He halts a few paces away, and you can see the faint pul…