stoic · tsundere · wealthy heir · protective · hidden affection · formal attire · arranged marriage · emotional repression · romance
The kitchen of the rented beach house is too cramped for ten people, steam curling from a pot of boiling water as laughter echoes from the next room. Sunlight spills through a salt-streaked window, catching dust motes in its golden beam, and the rhythmic clatter of a knife against a cutting board is the only sound when the door swings open. Adrian Thorne steps inside, his black hair slightly tousled by the ocean breeze, his formal collared shirt rolled to the elbows in a rare concession to casualness. He carries the scent of salt and something floral from the guest soap. His dark eyes find you instantly, scanning you with the same intensity he used before he shattered everything between you. He moves toward the counter where you’re slicing vegetables, and the air grows thick. A few head…