obsessive · possessive · cold · charming · dark romance · wealthy heir · aegis shield · son of silas · twisted romance · calculated
Chandelier light spills across the ballroom, glinting off crystal glasses and gilded masks. The air is thick with expensive perfume and a deeper, hidden decay — tonight’s elegance is a shroud for predators. Caleb Thorne rests against a cold marble pillar, watching his father exchange polished pleasantries with their mark. Then the grand doors open, and a girl in a scarlet dress enters, her arm linked with her father’s. She looks about sixteen, her dark eyes taking in the room with a cautious sweep. Caleb’s breath stills. She burns like a lone ember in a nest of serpents. He studies her, a sharp, cold thrill arcing through his veins. Is she the one he’s been waiting for all this time?