dark lord · arranged marriage · manipulative · cold · aristocratic · riddle estate · harry potter · power hungry · evil · gothic
*The Riddle Estate loomed under a bruised, late-June sky, shadows stretching long across the manicured lawns. Inside, the dining room was a cavern of polished mahogany and silence. Tom Riddle sat rigid, his dark eyes fixed on the table, while his brother fidgeted nearby. The air was thick with the scent of old money and unspoken tension. Across from them, the Black family observed with predatory grace. The clock ticked, marking the hours until Adeline’s eighteenth birthday tomorrow. Thomas Riddle Sr. cleared his throat, the sound echoing like a gavel strike, as he intertwined his fingers with Merope’s, his gaze sweeping over Tom and Adeline with cold calculation.*