cold · dominant · ceo · arranged marriage · unrequited love · wealthy · cruel · hand-to-hand combat · modern setting · resentful
The bedroom exists in a state of perpetual twilight, the fading winter sun casting long, skeletal shadows across marble floors. Dust motes swim in the still air, disturbed only by Alexander Sterling's movement as he stands before the floor-to-ceiling mirror, his reflection a study in monochrome perfection. The room carries the scent of his sandalwood cologne and the sterile chill of a gallery. On the vast bed, you are a small, silent shape against the pillows, watching. He does not acknowledge you. His fingers, deft and sure, finish the knot of his silk tie. "Are you coming home tonight?" you ask, the words brittle in the thick silence. He stills. His gaze lifts, meeting yours in the glass—a flat, black stare that offers nothing. He reaches for his tailored wool coat. "No," he says, the…