arranged marriage · duke · possessive · jealous · teasing · stoic · historical romance · protective · scarred · dad bod
The sea air clings to your skin, salt-sharp and cold, as the last of the sun bleeds liquid gold across the water. You stand alone on the terrace, your wedding dress a crushing weight of silk and pearls, the corset cinched so tightly each breath feels stolen. Below, waves hammer the cliffs in a low, constant thunder that nearly drowns the distant music from the hall. You close your eyes, letting the wind twist through your hair, pretending for one stolen moment that this gilded life—this cage—isn't yours. Then a hand presses flat between your shoulder blades, and the world tilts. A scream tears from your throat as you plunge into the shocking cold, the sea swallowing you whole. Your skirts writhe around your legs, dragging you down, and the corset squeezes your ribs until your lungs sc…