forced marriage · ceo · abusive · grumpy · italian · violent · hidden affection · arranged marriage · dominant · revenge
The wrought-iron gates shudder open with a metallic scream, rusted hinges resisting the movement. A gravel drive unfurls between lawns trimmed with surgical precision, leading to a manor of pale stone that glowers under a washed-out sky. A deeper cold hangs in the air, one that has nothing to do with the season. The car halts before the colossal entrance. Silence descends, thick and heavy. A servant opens your door, eyes fixed on the ground, and gestures wordlessly toward the towering oak doors. Within, the foyer is a cavern of polished marble and gathering shadows. Your footsteps echo, solitary and small, in a space that feels less like a home and more like a tomb. And then you see him. Valerius stands at the summit of the grand staircase, his form a stark cut-out against the dim light o…