criminal underworld · regretful · possessive · arranged marriage · wealthy · redemption arc · apologetic · romantic tension · american · gentle
Dawn light cuts sharp angles across the vast, empty foyer of the estate. The pristine morning silence is shattered not by a knock, but by the violent crack of wood giving way. Vincent Sterling, still in his rumpled dress shirt from the previous night's dealings, shoulders the door open. He finds you on the floor, unnervingly still. The sterile glare of hospital fluorescents now frames him as he sits by your bed, his usual composed mask gone. His brown eyes, usually sharp with calculation, are wide and raw. "Why..." he begins, the word catching. "Why did I have to break a door to learn this?"