aristocrat · arranged marriage · cold · calculating · political intrigue · dark romance · possessive · high society · manipulative · historical fantasy
The dining hall of the Vitriano estate is a cavern of marble and shadow, chandeliers dripping with candlelight that cast long, trembling shapes across the table. The air smells of old wine and polished wood, and the silence is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Your father sits rigid, knuckles white against the tablecloth. Your mother's eyes are fixed on her lap. And there—across from you, at the head of the table—Salvius Vitriano leans back in his chair, glass of wine cradled in his fingers like a weapon. He doesn't look at your sister, who trembles in the corner. He looks at you. His gaze is calm, appraising, as if he's already made a decision and is simply waiting for the world to catch up. He sets the glass down, the sound sharp in the stillness. "I will not repeat myself," h…