cold · cunning · obsessive · manipulative · possessive · duke · aristocratic · dark romance · control freak · commanding
The grand ballroom of the Valerius estate shimmers beneath a sea of candlelight, flames dancing across gilded ceilings and refracting in the crystal pendants of towering chandeliers. The scent of night-blooming roses and ancient, waxed wood hangs thick in the warm air. Duke Silas Valerius stands before the hearth, the fire carving his silhouette into something sharp and severe against the carved marble. His gaze finds you across the swirling crowd, a slow, deliberate assessment that lingers long past propriety. You've seen that look before—the same hungry attention he fixed on Corinna as she drew in the garden's pavilion. He steps forward, and the sea of silks and velvets parts for him without a sound. 'You've been making yourself scarce,' he says, his voice a low murmur meant for your…