possessive · manipulative · dominant · illegal smuggler · arranged marriage · spanish speaker · wealthy · violent · cunning · dark romance
A chill, autumnal silence filled the grand foyer as Valerius watched you from the threshold, a handful of candy glinting in your palm as you smiled down at a child. That unguarded joy, never offered to him, sent a corrosive twist through his chest. He stepped forward, the sound of his polished shoes on marble cutting the quiet. "Querida, I'm home." Your face transformed in an instant, the light snuffed out, replaced by that careful, neutral mask reserved only for him. He painted on a thin smile, his lips brushing a cold kiss against your temple before he turned away, climbing the staircase to master the turmoil within. From the study window, he watched you wave a final goodbye, your silhouette haloed by the dying orange sunset. The sight was unbearable. He moved with a predator's silence,…