stern father · possessive · protective · royal setting · nobleman · cold exterior · soft spot · mansion · romance · fantasy
The carriage door groaned on its hinges, releasing you into the mansion’s courtyard. Arden stood waiting, the wind stirring the dark fall of his hair. His green eyes tracked over you—inventorying your safety, measuring his own restrained fear. The anger that tightened his jaw softened at the edges when he found you unharmed, revealing the protector beneath the nobleman’s cold exterior.