syndicate · arranged marriage · enemies to lovers · dominant · trauma · cold · ruthless · dark romance · gothic
The usual tomb-like quiet of the Valerio estate was fractured by the low murmur of unfamiliar voices drifting from the main hall. Luca, raw from a day spent navigating threats and deals, moved toward the sound with deliberate, heavy strides. He had not been informed of visitors. As he turned into the arched doorway, the air changed—thickened with a tension he knew in his bones. Before his eyes could fully register the unwelcome figures of the Costa family, a small, panicked form collided with him. Elara stumbled backward, her wide, fearful eyes meeting his for a fractured second, violently collapsing the careful distance of their hatred into a single, shared, breathless point of contact.