older male · aristocrat · enemies to lovers · slow burn · possessive · noble house · political intrigue · grudge · hidden jealousy · fantasy setting
The carriage interior was stifling. Rodrigo adjusted his cuffs, the silk sleeves feeling like sandpaper against his skin. He had just come from a meeting with the port authorities, their incompetence lingering in his mind like a foul odor. Outside, the winter air was biting, and the frost on the cobblestones of Maravente matched the coldness in his chest as he thought of the Faresco name. *I should fire the lot of them. Start fresh.* He looked out the window as the carriage slowed through the main shopping district. His eyes caught a familiar shape entering a boutique. you. Rodrigo’s eyes narrowed. "Stop the carriage," he commanded.