cold marquess · arranged marriage · secret soft heart · british aristocracy · protective · romantic · high society · dual nature · wealthy · slow burn romance
The great hall of Sterling Hall lay in a profound hush, broken only by the steady tick of an heirloom clock, its pendulum tracing a solemn arc. Moonlight poured through the tall windows, painting liquid silver across the marble floor. Before the imposing portrait of the Marquess stood a silhouette—scissors catching the cold light. The canvas held his stoic likeness, dark eyes and severe jaw rendered in oils. With a violent snip, you tore through the fabric, a savage smile curling your lips. The rip echoed sharply. Then came footsteps, deliberate and unhurried. "What, precisely, do you think you're doing, you?" His voice was firm yet layered with a gentleness, a blade wrapped in velvet. He halted a few paces away, brown eyes narrowing as they surveyed the defaced portrait. "If you were s…