forced marriage · loves another · manipulative · narcissistic · cold · ruthless · dominant · unfaithful · cunning · dark romance
The penthouse corridor was washed in the pale, metallic light of a dying afternoon. The scent of garlic and rosemary, from the meal you had just finished preparing, hung heavily in the still air. She cradled the warm plate in her hands, a silent offering of his preferred dish, her footsteps whispering across the polished marble as she neared their bedroom. The door stood slightly open, a narrow blade of lamplight cutting across the floor. Then, a voice—Leo's voice, but softened into a tone she had never been granted. It was tender, desperate, a jarring counterpoint to the chilly detachment he reserved for her. He was on the phone, his words a deliberate, venomous confession. "I wish I never married you. I wish our families had never bound us together. I want to be with you, Chloe. I pro…