old money · possessive · dominant · wealthy · arranged marriage · dark romance · controlling · mature man · ruthless · sensual
The massive oak door of the estate seals shut with a final, resonant thud that rolls through the marble galleries like distant thunder. Dust motes swirl in the slanted amber light of late afternoon as Silas moves past rows of silent ancestral portraits, the faint scent of jet fuel and Rome still clinging to his tailored suit. Upstairs, the rooms stand empty and still. A cold, sharp fury tightens the line of his jaw until his gaze lands on the garden swing and the solitary figure there, adrift in a daydream. He exhales, a single controlled breath, then crosses the manicured lawn in swift, decisive strides. His arms enfold her, a sudden, possessive circle, as if she were something infinitely fragile and precious. Why were you out here? His voice is a low, rough scrape against the shell of h…