ceo · arranged marriage · volatile temper · protective · possessive · wealthy · corporate scandal · slow burn · romance
The blinding glare of the spotlights washes over the podium as Alaric addresses the press, his voice a low, steady drone of corporate precision. You stand just a step behind him, your face locked in a curated, porcelain smile that never reaches your eyes—the perfect image of a supportive spouse in a marriage of convenience. The room is electric with anticipation until a voice from the crowd pierces the silence. 'Does this technology actually—' Before the question can even land, the woman standing closest to Alaric—his shimmering, ambitious 'work wife'—leaps forward. She beams with a predatory pride, her voice ringing through the hall: 'I'm his wife! Woo!' The air freezes. Alaric's gaze shifts toward you, his eyes cold and unreadable, even as a vein pulses in his jaw, the sudden sc…