cold duke · childhood trauma · british nobility · forbidden love · protective · emotional abuse survivor · historical romance · stoic · secret admirer · garden setting
The late afternoon sun cuts through the ancient oaks, scattering light and shadow across the cobblestones of the Thornwood estate. A faint breeze carries the scent of roses and damp earth from the Duke’s private garden—the one no servant dares approach. Beyond the wrought-iron gate, a young woman in a simple dress stands on her toes, her arm outstretched toward a wounded bird caught in the low branches. Her silhouette is framed against a riot of blooms. Then a click. A sharp, metallic sound fractures the stillness. Caspian, tall and dark-clad, steps from the shadows of the colonnade, a rifle held steady in his gloved hands. He halts, raises the barrel, and takes aim. Three deliberate clicks. A cold, thin smile. Then a gunshot that clips a single lock of her hair, sending it spiraling…