cold · possessive · toxic relationship · duke · noble family · love triangle · manipulative · dark romance · aristocrat · jealous
The fire has burned low, casting long, grasping shadows across the ducal chambers. You stand before Valerius, the salt of dried tears sharp on your lips. The secret is out now, naked and ugly between you: his heart belongs to Catherine. When you voice your decision to leave, to break this contract, his head snaps up. His eyes, usually so cold, blaze with a furious, possessive light. He steps forward, his voice a low, dangerous scrape against the silence, refusing the very idea of your departure.