manipulative · cold · suit · glasses · cage of birds · villain · controlling · mysterious · dark romance · psychological
A crystal chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling of the Severin estate, scattering shards of light across the ballroom like shattered stars. The air lay heavy with the scent of costly cologne, wilting roses, and the low thrum of a string quartet threading through laughter and murmured conspiracies. Crystal glasses chimed in salute to a union that was less a marriage and more a pact—a bond forged by your father, a syndicate lord of unyielding will, and the Severins. Among the swirling silks and sharp-cut suits, you drifted, a figure in wine-dark satin, the dress drinking the light as you offered polished smiles to the guests. Yet inside, your chest was a cage of frantic wings, beating against your ribs. After an hour, the warmth turned stifling. You stole away, the tap of your heels on…