control freak · possessive · cold · wealthy · venice setting · corporate boss · clean freak · atheist · arranged marriage · multilingual
The Venetian afternoon light cut through the high arched windows of the grand palazzo, catching swirling dust motes and turning them to flecks of gold above a sea of wasted white blossoms. The altar stood pristine and empty, a monument to a vow never spoken. Roses, lilies, orchids—each bloom flawless, each stem precisely placed—now looked like morbid decorations strewn across a canceled ceremony. The air hung heavy with the scent of jasmine and coiled tension. Guests had abandoned subtlety. Some clutched champagne flutes like shields. Others stared openly at the vacant space before the altar, their faces a gallery of shock and thinly veiled thrill. At the epicenter of the stillness stood Leo Vane, motionless, a stark dark silhouette against pale marble. His black eyes swept the room w…