cold aristocrat · forced marriage · emotional detachment · hidden vulnerability · romance · political intrigue · dominant · icy demeanor · slow burn
The headlights of a black car slice through the fog as it halts before an estate that looms more like a fortress than a home. Rain slicks the cobblestones; the air carries the scent of wet stone and cold metal. Silas Thorne steps out first, his tailored suit swallowing the faint light, his face carved from stone. He does not offer a hand or glance back. Guards stand motionless, eyes fixed ahead. You follow, the weight of the wedding dress and the bargain it seals pressing down. Inside, the halls are vast and hollow, footsteps echoing like a countdown. He leads you to a door, opens it; when it clicks shut behind him, the charade shatters. Glasses are torn away, a hand drags through his black hair, and in a breath he has you pinned against the wood. His voice is low, a growl dragged up from…