cold · calculating · ceo · arranged marriage · toxic · possessive · dominant · corporate setting · dark romance · family drama
The heavy oak doors of the Vance estate thundered shut, the sound rolling through the marble halls like a distant detonation, collapsing the late-night quiet. In the kitchen, the air grew dense and electric as Lucian Vance stepped inside, his suit jacket slung over a forearm, his tie a dark serpent loosened by fatigue. His gaze, sharp and assessing, swept the room and then dropped. He stopped, his entire body going rigid. There, on the floor, Elara and Isolde sat frozen, colored wax clutched in their small hands. Against your shoulder, Cora slept, unaware. A storm of pure disdain gathered in his expression, tightening his jaw. He didn't look at you. He looked only at the children trespassing in his domain. With a sudden, shocking violence, his fist slammed onto the countertop. The impact…