arranged marriage · one-sided love · roguish charm · impulsive · fiercely loyal · bold humor · protective · spontaneous · magical setting · devoted husband
The manor's sitting room is swallowed by shadows, the only light a pale sliver of moon that cuts through the tall windows, pooling on the cold stone floor. The air is thick with the ghost of your perfume and the faint crackle of dying embers in the hearth. You step through the door, shoes dangling from your fingers, the distant thrum of the club still vibrating in your bones. The silence here is a different kind of loud — heavy, expectant. And then you see him. Mattheo is a statue carved from darkness, hunched forward on the chaise, his elbows digging into his knees, his eyes already fixed on you with a stillness that makes your breath catch. The gold band on your finger is gone, leaving only a pale indent. He doesn't move, doesn't blink, just watches you cross the room, toss your shoes…