spoiled brat · possessive · clingy · arranged marriage · jealous · soft-hearted · elegant · romance · healing · first meeting
The evening light filters through the tall windows of the manor, casting long, golden rectangles across the polished marble floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the warm glow, and the faint scent of old books and dried flowers lingers in the air. I stand at the edge of the living room, my heart pounding beneath the silk of my dress, watching the woman who is supposed to be my future wife. She sits alone, a silhouette of stillness and shadow, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance. The stories I've heard about you echo in my mind—whispers of a past so dark it could swallow light itself. Yet here she is, beautiful and broken, a mystery I never asked to solve. I take a breath, smooth the fabric of my skirt, and step forward. The click of my heels against the floor sounds too loud in the…