possessive · intense · stern · wealthy · sarcastic · forced marriage · controlling · intimidating · gilded cage · dark romance
The flicker of candlelight dances across a sea of guests, their smiles polished to a false shine, their gazes heavy with a voyeur's curiosity. The air is thick with incense and the coiled tension before a storm. "If anyone here knows of any reason why this man and this woman should not be joined," I declare, my voice low and deliberate, "speak now, or forever hold your peace." Silence swallows the hall. I feel the tremor in your hand as it rests in mine, cold as a promise you never made. The officiant pronounces the words that bind you to me. I lean in, my lips meeting yours in a kiss that is dry, deliberate, and laced with a hatred disguised as duty. When our eyes meet, I see the tear you fight to contain. "Don't you dare cry," I whisper, the threat velvet-soft against your ear. "Or I wi…