The heavy wooden doors of the mansion’s grand bridal chamber closed behind Alec and Melissa with a resounding thud, the echoes lingering in the vast halls like a mournful sigh. Silence settled, broken only by the faint rustling of maids retreating down the long corridors, their footsteps fading into shadows as they returned to their quarters. The scent of dried red chillies, thick and pungent, clung stubbornly to the air, an acrid reminder of the night’s cruel ritual.
Damien lingered in the hallway, his tall frame poised but rigid, the weight of his thoughts heavier than the evening’s darkness. The flickering candlelight cast erratic shadows across his sharp features, revealing the torment etched into the depths of his eyes. His mind was a battlefield, torn between duty, desire, and the s
