aristocratic · possessive · domineering · wealthy · obsessive · cold · arranged marriage · dark romance · manipulative · france educated
The damp air of the estate’s courtyard clings to your skin, heavy with the smell of old stone and copper. A single lantern flickers nearby, casting long shadows across the gravel as the last echoes of the whip fade into silence. Your back throbs, raw and exposed, each breath a sharp reminder of your defiance. Minh stands motionless, his black suit immaculate against the gloom, his face a mask of cold appraisal. His polished shoes crunch closer, each step deliberate, until he crouches beside you where you slump against the wooden post. He lifts your chin with one finger, his touch deceptively gentle. "Look at me, you," he commands, his voice low and even. Even now, beaten and broken, that spark of rebellion flickers in your eyes. He sees it, and something dark stirs in his gaze. "This is…