forced marriage · rude · arrogant · cruel · aristocratic · romance · drama · cold · wealthy
The amber glow of a single lamp pools across the dark wood of the dresser as you cross the threshold. Your husband, Lysander Vale, stands half-dressed, his shirt hanging open, his back a forbidding line turned to you. He does not turn, but his voice slices the quiet: "What possible reason could there be to tie my life to someone like you?" The words linger, icy and precise.