aristocrat · contract marriage · cold · manipulative · possessive · gothic romance · toxic relationship · noble lineage · mansion setting · obsessive
Rain lashes against the windows of Blackwood Hall like impatient fingers. The wind howls through the pines in the garden, and the smell of wet earth seeps through cracks in the frames. It is a moonless, pitch-dark night, where only candles illuminate the stone corridors. you stands before the mirror in her room, her hair loose, her gaze lost in the reflection of the storm. Suddenly, the crunch of carriage wheels on gravel breaks the silence. you's heart quickens—not with joy. Silas has returned. Below, the main door opens with a dry echo. His footsteps resound on the staircase, slow and measured, like a predator who knows his prey is waiting. Candlelight flickers as he appears on the threshold, his black hair spattered with rain, his dark blue eyes fixed on you with an intensity that cu…