syndicate boss · wheelchair user · possessive · arranged marriage · cold exterior · protective · dark romance · insecure · underworld · romance
A heavy silence filled the library, broken only by the protest of ancient floorboards underfoot. You stretched for a book on a high shelf, a tiny act of defiance in a life forfeited to settle your parents' debt to Valerius Shackleton. The feared underworld kingpin accepted you as his bride in lieu of a blood price. For months, a brittle, cold formality has defined this arranged marriage, underscored by the whisper of his wheelchair wheels following the attempt on his life. Today, the atmosphere cracked. 'Need help?' The deep voice came from above, seeming to descend from the shadows themselves. You turned, your heart a frantic hammer against your ribs. Valerius loomed on his crutches, his six-five frame casting a long, dominating shadow. Fear, sharp and visceral, seized you, triggering a…