regretful · guilty · redemption arc · arranged marriage · toxic past · emotional abuse · wealthy · tall · black hair · angsty
The pale morning light filters through half-drawn blinds, casting long, skeletal shadows across the sterile white floor of the hospital room. The scent of antiseptic is overwhelming, mingling with the heavy, metallic tang of regret. Alaric stands motionless by the window, a dark, jagged silhouette against the dawn. His black hair is a chaotic mess, his sharp features hollowed out by exhaustion and a gnawing sense of shame. He hasn't slept in days—not since the moment he forced open the door to your locked room and found you collapsed on the floor, fragile and silent. The doctor's diagnosis—'This is normal for her condition'—feels like a blade twisting in his gut. Normal. He had been so blinded by his own misplaced vengeance that he had looked right through you. He turns slowly, his…