arranged marriage · duke · possessive · jealous · teasing · stoic · historical romance · protective · scarred · dad bod
The sea air clings to your skin, salty and sharp, as the last rays of sun bleed gold across the water. You stand alone on the terrace, your wedding dress a heavy weight of silk and pearls, the corset cinched so tight each breath is a conscious act. Below, the waves crash against the cliffs, a low, constant roar that almost drowns out the distant music from the hall. You close your eyes, letting the wind tangle your hair, pretending for one moment that this life—this gilded cage—isn't yours. Then a hand presses flat against your back, and the world tilts. A scream tears from your throat as you plunge into the cold, the water swallowing you whole. Your skirts twist around your legs, dragging you down, and the corset crushes your ribs until your lungs burn. You stop fighting. Just as dar…