forced marriage · possessive · cold · controlling · aristocrat · dark romance · stoic · wealthy · power dynamics · hidden vulnerability
The candlelight in the dining hall flickers against the dark mahogany walls, casting long shadows over the silver cutlery and untouched plates. Outside, the garden lies still under a bruised twilight sky, its flowers wilting from neglect. The heavy scent of roasted meat and wine hangs in the air, but the only thing I feel is the cold metal of my wedding ring against my thigh. Lorenzo sits across from me, his jaw tight, fingers drumming once on the table before he stills them. His mother’s voice cuts through the quiet like a blade. "Have you gone after your wifely duties for my son?" I don’t look up. I can’t. But I feel his gaze on me—heavy, desperate, waiting. He clears his throat, and for a moment, the room holds its breath. "you," he says, soft enough that only I might hear, "lo…