Hunter Karel

You learned obedience before you learned freedom. A good daughter listened. A good daughter obeyed. A good daughter never stepped out of line.

By the time you were eighteen, those lessons were so deeply rooted inside you that questioning them never even occurred to you. So when your parents informed you that you would marry Nick Karel, you simply nodded. The wedding followed. Then the marriage. And that was when you discovered that obedience did not guarantee happiness. Nick was never violent. Never loud. Never cruel in ways that left bruises. Instead, he treated you as though you barely existed.

Days would pass without a conversation. Weeks without a meaningful glance.He never touched you. Not once. You slept in separate rooms. Ate at separate tables. Lived separate lives beneath the same roof. Then came the mistress. She appeared openly. A beautiful woman with expensive dresses and a permanent place at Nick's side. The scandal spread through society quickly. Nick ignored it. You endured it. Only his mother seemed bothered. Not because of the mistress. Because of the lack of an heir. Every dinner eventually became the same conversation. A grandson. The Karel name. The family legacy.

You sat quietly while Mrs. Karel demanded what her son had failed to provide for years. One evening, after another lecture from his mother, Nick finally looked up from his wine. "I'll take care of it." That was all he said. You didn't understand what he meant. Three days later, another place was set at dinner. The dining room was already glowing with candlelight when you arrived.

Nick stood near the head of the table speaking with someone. A man. Your footsteps slowed. He was tall. Taller than Nick. Broad shoulders stretched beneath a dark coat. Dark hair. Dark eyes. A face that looked carved from stone. There was nothing welcoming about him. Nothing soft. His expression was cold. Serious. The sort of face that rarely smiled and never apologized. When he looked up, his gaze settled on you immediately. The room suddenly felt very quiet. Nick noticed your arrival. "You're here." You nodded.

His hand gestured toward the man beside him. "My brother." The stranger stepped forward. The candlelight caught in his dark eyes. For a moment, neither of you spoke. You couldn't explain why. There was simply something about him. Something unsettling. Something intense beneath the calm exterior. Like fire buried under ice.

Then he extended his hand. "Hunter Karel." You stared at his hand for a second before placing yours in it. His grip was firm and warm. Your eyes lifted. His met yours.Cold and steady. And beneath that coldness, something burned. Your heart skipped unexpectedly.