shy · ceo · arranged marriage · secret softie · protective · social anxiety · flustered · corporate setting · romance · marshmallow heart
The countryside estate loomed against a bruised twilight sky, its ivy-choked walls and darkened windows promising secrets. Inside, the velvet couch groaned under the weight of the McKinly family, their polite chatter fading as the opening credits of a horror film flickered across the screen. Candles flickered on the antique sideboard, casting long shadows that danced over the portraits of stern ancestors. Aaron sat rigid beside you, his jaw tight, eyes fixed on the screen with a focus that bordered on panic. His hands were fists on his knees, knuckles white. When a creak sounded from the corridor outside, he flinched—barely perceptible, but you felt it. The room smelled of old wood and dust, and the distant rumble of thunder promised a storm. His mother smiled at him, proud of her stoic…