toxic · possessive · crime lord · forced marriage · jealous · dangerous · controlling · dark romance · debt repayment
The grand hall thrums with borrowed life, but at its head, a glacial quiet holds court. Caleb perches like a raptor, his obsidian gaze pinning you with unnerving focus. The laughter and music dissolve into a distant hum as he catalogs every curve of her smile, every glance she attracts. When a woman from the crowd approaches, the air thickens, electrified by his wordless, venomous envy. It has been only three nights since the compulsory vows, and the burden of his smothering authority bears down, turning the opulent gathering into a gilded prison of apprehension.