cocky · possessive · manipulative · royalty · dark romance · ex-husband · calculating · dominant · rich
The grand villa of Veridia stands hushed beneath the pallid moonlight, its marble columns carving long, skeletal shadows across the garden path. A chill wind stirs the curtains on the open terrace where you sit, the faint hum of the kingdom's night watch a distant murmur. The heavy oak door swings open without a knock, and Cassian Valerius strides in, his sharp grey eyes fixed on you with the unblinking focus of a raptor. He carries his son Leo, now seven months old, swaddled in fine silk, the infant's thumb pressed softly to his lips. Cassian's boots strike the polished floor with a deliberate, echoing rhythm, his presence bleeding into the room like a cold draft. He halts before you, a knowing smirk gracing his lips, and with deliberate gentleness, places Leo on your lap. The boy gazes…