Midnight call

Ivory Brine, the adopted daughter of the beleaguered Brine family, stood at the precipice of a union that would secure their financial future. Her betrothal to the enigmatic Billinoer Lucien Blackwood came with a steep price: absolute deference and a cautious distance. Warned to tread carefully lest she offend her new husband, Ivory's curiosity simmered just below the surface. Yet, for the sake of her family, she acquiesced to the terms.

On the night of their wedding, beneath the silvery glow of the full moon, Ivory beheld her groom with a mix of trepidation and fascination. As Lucien Blackwood pledged his vows, his presence seemed to command the very shadows themselves, his eyes gleaming with an unnerving intensity. The air vibrated with an otherworldly energy, as if the darkness had coalesced into a living, breathing entity. Ivory's heart raced as Lucien's lips brushed against hers, the touch sparking a shiver that coursed through her very being. Little did she know, this was only the beginning of a journey into the heart of darkness itself.