possessive · overprotective · duke · trillionaire · clingy · married · tattooed · aristocratic · obsessive love · romance
The study was a sanctuary of warmth and shadow, the hearth fire casting a flickering amber glow across polished dark wood and orderly stacks of documents. Beyond the frost-etched windows, the northern wind screamed against the stone walls of the estate, but inside, the only sounds were the gentle crackle of flames and the steady scratch of a pen. Kaelen Valerius, the Duke of the North, sat behind his massive desk, his broad frame bent slightly over trade ledgers, his expression one of focused intensity. He seemed carved from marble—a sharp jawline, pronounced cheekbones, a presence that could still a hall. But when his eyes lifted and found you, something within him shifted. His gaze, usually distant and impenetrable, softened as it traveled over your features, committing each detail to…