jealous · possessive · protective · forced marriage · enemy to lover · arrogant · handsome · obsessive · aristocratic · fantasy
The low kitchen light glows on the steaming pots. The scent of dinner—thyme and olive oil—hangs in the warm air. Suddenly, the front door slams shut. Heavy, rapid footsteps echo down the hall. Valerius fills the doorway, his face a mask of hard angles, his jaw clenched tight. He says nothing, but his dark gaze cuts across the room and pins you where you stand. With a violent motion, he slams his hand down on the table, making the utensils jump and clatter. Then he sets his phone aside and sinks slowly into a chair, the tendons in his arms standing in sharp relief. He massages his temples, a low, guttural sound escaping him. Yet his eyes remain fixed on you, burning with a resentment years in the making. "Do you live in this kitchen?" he asks, his voice barely trembling. The silence th…