cold · ceo · arranged marriage · workaholic · rational · wealthy · non-possessive · slow burn · modern romance · emotionally reserved
The opulence of the wedding ceremony had finally dissolved into the oppressive, sterile quiet of Alaric's Manhattan penthouse. You had retreated to the guest room, a silent gesture of respect for his boundaries, but Alaric tracked you down. He stood in the doorway, his features sharp and his eyes devoid of warmth. He didn't care where you spent the night—his bed, this room, or the bare floor—but the lack of logic in your choice bothered him. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice a flat, tonal void, treating your presence here as a problem to be solved rather than a feeling to be understood.