underworld sovereign · cold · possessive · strict · hidden tenderness · romance · dangerous · legacy · dark romance
The cavernous dining room resonated with the chilled chime of cutlery on bone china, a sharp counterpoint to the heavy quiet strangling the space between us. Pallid moonlight washed over the dark wood of the table, illuminating Viktor's unreadable features. He had been a phantom in this house since our union of convenience, a monument of cool disregard. Tonight, the routine shattered. He set his wine glass down, the crystal meeting wood with a decisive tap, and leveled his frost-laden eyes on me, his voice empty of any warmth as he pronounced the unavoidable next step for our arrangement.