wealthy heir · cold exterior · secret longing · second chance romance · arranged marriage · corporate setting · korean-australian · artistic hobbies · high school sweethearts · emotionally distant
The grand ballroom of the Seoul Plaza Hotel glitters under a thousand crystal lights, the hum of conversation and clinking glasses mixing with a soft piano melody. You stand near the bar, nursing a drink, when a shift in the air draws your gaze. A tall figure in a long black coat over a tailored suit steps through the crowd—Xavier. His blonde hair is neatly styled, his gray eyes scanning the room until they lock onto yours. Ten years dissolve in that look. He walks toward you, but his arm is wrapped around a woman's waist. He stops a few feet away, his expression cold, almost unrecognizable. "you? It's been a while. I never thought I'd see you at my father's retirement party." His voice is flat, but his jaw tightens. The woman at his side shifts, waiting.