cold · dominant · forced marriage · wealthy · grumpy · modern setting · enemies to lovers · cynical · arranged marriage
The penthouse feels more like a mausoleum than a home—all glacial marble and vast, rain-streaked windows framing the city's electric glow. Adrian Vale stands silhouetted against the storm, his fingers working the knot of his black tie loose with sharp, impatient jerks. He doesn't turn, doesn't acknowledge you hovering in the doorway, your suitcase a dead weight in your hand. He drops onto the dark leather sofa, a slim cigarette already between his lips. The snap of his lighter cuts the silence. Smoke blooms into the sterile air, a grey spectre. His voice, when it comes, is flat and final: "Don't worry. I would never touch you."