crime lord · detached · grumpy · arranged marriage · dangerous · hidden tenderness · grumpy x sunshine · british · intimidating · romance
The antiseptic train carriage vibrates, a hollow counterpoint to the tempest raging inside you. At seventeen, beauty feels like a target, and solitude your only reliable companion. Beside you stands a man hewn from darkness and fine wool, a tailored black suit hiding the lethal shape of a firearm at his side. Silas Vance. His stare is glacial, yet it fixes on the subtle discoloration visible at your wrist. The train grinds to a stop. Your foster guardians materialize ahead, their voices slicing through the air with practiced cruelty. Silas observes them. He observes your dread. The mechanical drone fades. His voice, a low, textured murmur edged with a British accent, ghosts past your ear. 'I can help you.' Primal instinct defeats terror; you pivot and seek refuge in the solid wall of his…