NICO
500 Words
Nico Blackwood did not believe in mistakes.
Every decision he made was calculated, deliberate, and final. The marriage was no exception.
The small chapel still lingered in his mind the quiet vows, the restrained ceremony, the girl standing beside him like she might disappear if the wind shifted too hard. Ann Moore. Now Blackwood.
She had looked fragile in that cream dress, too young, too soft for the world he ruled. Her parents had stood a short distance away, their discomfort obvious, their gratitude barely masking their guilt. He had noticed everything.
He always did.
The marriage had been necessary. Her family’s debt had threatened a deal he had spent months orchestrating. Marrying Ann had been the simplest solution. Clean. Efficient.
He needed a wife and her family needed to clear their debts.
Yet simplicity did not explain the irritation curling in his chest.
Nico stood in his private study, sleeves rolled to his forearms, fingers wrapped tightly around a glass of untouched whiskey. Through the tall windows, the estate stretched endlessly, dark and silent.
Control. That was what mattered.
Ann had signed the contract without resistance, her quiet obedience confirming what he already knew. She would not fight him. She would not challenge his authority.
And yet…
His jaw tightened.
She had looked at him once during the ceremony just once her eyes wide and glossy with unshed tears. Not pleading. Not accusing.
Accepting.
That look unsettled him more than defiance ever could.
Nico set the glass down hard. He did not need her trust. He did not want her affection. This marriage was a transaction, nothing more.
Still, boundaries had to be established immediately.
He would not have her wandering the estate, mistaking privilege for intimacy. He would not have her assuming a place beside him that he had never offered.
The east wing was prepared. Separate. Distant. Appropriate.
Nico left the study and walked the quiet corridor with long, measured strides. When he reached her door, he did not knock.
He opened it.
Ann stood by the vanity, her back to him, slender fingers fumbling with the necklace she had worn during the ceremony. The ring on her hand caught the light, unmistakable.
His ring.
She stiffened when she sensed him behind her.
Slowly, she turned.
Her face was pale, her dark eyes cautious. There was no anger there. No rebellion. Only uncertainty.
Good.
“We need to set boundaries,” Nico said calmly. “Starting now.”
Her throat moved as she swallowed.
She nodded
The words landed deeper than he expected.
Nico studied her for a moment longer than necessary, committing every detail to memory the way she held herself like she was trying not to take up space, the way she waited for permission even to breathe.
This marriage would remain exactly what he intended.
Controlled.
Ordered.
Unemotional.
And yet, as he turned to leave, one thought followed him down the corridor like a shadow.
She has the prettiest eyes he had ever seen.
- Writer
