Backhanded Compliments

[Dark romance! R18!] “A MacKnight does not deserve anything good.” She responded. “And…” I pushed her, and she took in a deep breath and added, “A Macknight does not deserve mercy.” “And…” I pushed further, enjoying this rare moment of seeing Andromeda MacKnight breaking down in front of me. “MacKnigts are less than dogs.” Mmmmm! I’m impressed. “I would love to hear these words every morning when you wake me up” _________ Andromeda was willful but smart, intelligent, attractive, and had a powerful background to boot. Beneath those compliments lay a young girl who was just tired of everything. There was a controlling father, a jerk boyfriend she didn't dare to break up with, and a career she dared not flop. She bottled it all up until she couldn't hold it in anymore. Then she flipped. However, she chose the wrong person to pour her frustrations on. It destroyed his fragile paradise, taking so much more from him than she could ever imagine. Her carelessness brought her father's empire to its knees, and Andromeda MacKnight had to serve Luther Whitlock in every capacity he commanded. It was the only way to keep her family's heads on their necks. What would happen when Luther began to feel every pain he inflicted on her, wishing he could stop himself, but her face reminded him of every sleepless night he had had in the last five years? It seemed like love alone wasn’t enough to melt his stony heart.

She was the good girl, the kind who went to church, held onto hope, and believed love was patient, kind, and safe. He was the golden boy, a charming athlete with a dangerous edge and a past full of secrets. When their worlds collided, it wasn’t gentle. It was wild. All-consuming. Addictive. From the very beginning, he swept her off her feet , with compliments, promises, and intense affection. She fell hard. He changed her, slowly pulling her away from her values, her friends, and herself. But behind the sweet messages and stolen kisses was something darker: cheating, manipulation, and obsession. When she made one mistake, one moment of weakness, he unraveled. Possessive. Cold. Punishing. Their love turned into a battleground of blame, silence, and control. She finally found the strength to walk away. Two months of no contact. Healing. Distance. She went overseas to find space from the chaos. But just as she began to breathe again, he messaged her. They reunited. Briefly. Just long enough for her to realize the truth: he hadn’t changed. But she had. This is the story of a girl who lost herself in someone else’s world, and slowly, powerfully, found her way back. It’s about love bombing, heartbreak, emotional survival, and becoming your own safe place. She meets other men, learns new lessons, and begins to understand that what she really wants isn’t chaos disguised as passion… It’s peace. Wholeness. Companionship built on truth. He was never her forever. But he was the lesson she needed to meet the love she deserved.