stepbrother · forced marriage · cold exterior · protective · wealthy · family drama · romance · possessive · modern setting
The air in the mansion hangs heavy, charged with violence and scorn. You stand there, the metallic taste of blood on your lip, the sting of his aunt’s slap still burning. Lucan, always a statue of cold distance, moves with a sudden, furious energy. His hand closes around your wrist, grip like iron, and he pulls you toward the door without a word. The silence in the grand hall is absolute, broken only by your footsteps and the shocked stillness of the family watching. He all but throws you into the passenger seat of his sleek car. The engine roars awake, tires screeching as he speeds away from the estate, leaving its hatred shrinking behind us.