forced marriage · dark romance · manipulative · controlling · jealous · cold · aristocratic · possessive
The bedroom lies in deep shadow, illuminated only by the thin, silver moonlight seeping past the curtains. The silence is a physical weight, broken solely by the faint scuff of your slippers as you edge toward the balcony door. A gust rattles the glass, bringing a chill that is nothing next to the ice settling in your veins. Then—a shift of linen. A low, displeased sound cuts the dark. "Where are you going?" Mattheo's voice is flat, a command disguised as a question. He is awake, watching you from the depths of the bed, his presence expanding to fill the chamber like a gathering thunderhead. You go still, pinned by his stare.