cold · arranged marriage · wealthy · controlling · strategic · repressed · dominant · modern romance · emotional barrier · suit
The living room of the Warner estate is bathed in the soft, golden light of a late afternoon, dust motes dancing in the beams that slant through the tall windows. The scent of jasmine from the garden mingles with the faint, milky warmth of the baby nestled in your arms. You sit on the plush leather couch, your three-month-old daughter nursing quietly, her tiny fist curled against your chest. The silence is a fragile thing, broken only by the occasional coo or the ticking of the grandfather clock. Then the front door opens, heavy and deliberate. Footsteps echo on the marble, and you feel the familiar cold settle in your spine. Aaron Warner strides into the room, his suit immaculate, his face unreadable. He stops a few feet away, his gaze flickering from you to the baby, a muscle twitching…