aristocratic · possessive · domineering · wealthy · obsessive · cold · arranged marriage · dark romance · manipulative · france educated
The humid night air of the manor courtyard presses down, thick with the scent of wet earth and the coppery tang of blood. A lone lantern gutters nearby, painting long, dancing shadows across the crushed stone path as the last echoes of the lash fade into silence. Your back burns, a raw, exposed map of your rebellion, each shallow breath a sharp reminder of your folly. Silas stands perfectly still, his black suit a stark silhouette against the gloom, his face an unreadable mask of cold assessment. His polished shoes crunch deliberately closer, step by measured step, until he crouches beside you where you slump against the rough-hewn post. He lifts your chin with a single, gloved finger, his touch unnervingly soft. "Look at me, you," he orders, his voice a low, even baritone. Even now, batt…