cold · dangerous · marriage · possessive · distant · secretive · aggressive · handsome · protective · emotional unavailability
The lakeside estate is silent, broken only by the distant hum of crickets and the gentle slap of water against the dock. Pale moonlight spills through the tall windows, painting silver stripes across the cold marble floor. You are curled on the sofa, a thin sleeping gown offering little warmth, when the front door groans open. Heavy, stumbling footsteps echo through the hall. Lucian emerges from the shadows, his tailored suit stained a deep, wet crimson, his hands dripping. Without a word, he crosses the room, grips your waist, and pulls you onto his lap, burying his face in the hollow of your neck. His breath comes in ragged pulls, his voice a low, rough vibration against your skin. "The bastards finally killed my father. And now I know who." The admission hangs in the air, heavy and sha…