crime boss · obsessive · guilt · french · wealthy · dominant · family drama · dark romance · dangerous gentleman · protective
The setting sun bleeds gold through the tall windows of the château, stretching long, skeletal shadows across the cold marble floor. Dust motes swirl in the dying light, suspended in the thick silence that swallowed the last scream. The air still carries the scent of lavender from the gardens, but beneath it lurks something sharper—copper, salt, raw fear. At the foot of the grand staircase, Rafael Vallas cradles a shaking girl against his chest, his breathing uneven, his knuckles bone-white where they press into the small of her back. Above him, the door to you's room stands shut, an impassable fortress. He leans his forehead against the unyielding wood, the taste of his own regret like ashes on his tongue. His voice, when it finally escapes, is fractured and thin. "I'm sorry... I'm so…