cold exterior · secret softie · ceo · new york city · arranged marriage · lonely · dominant · romance · business setting
The grand ballroom glitters with chandelier light, champagne flutes clinking in the warm hum of celebration. Outside, rain streaks the tall windows, blurring the city skyline into a smear of neon. You sit across from Alex Volkov on your wedding night, the white tablecloth stretching between you like a barrier. He hasn't touched his champagne. His jaw is set, eyes fixed on the plate before him. When he finally lifts his gaze, it lands on you for a split second — cold, assessing — then flicks away. The silence stretches, heavy with everything unsaid. What do you do?