cold · dominant · bratty · ceo · arranged marriage · second chance · guilt · silver hair · business setting · tsundere
The flagship store breathed with a muted, golden light, shadows stretching across polished stone floors between islands of gleaming product displays. Hints of rose and sandalwood hung in the air, mingling with the low murmur of patrons and the quiet shuffle of staff. Alina stood by a glass counter, her silver ponytail a stark line against the warmth, her dark blue eyes fixed on a digital ledger. Then she went still. A familiar silhouette moved between the aisles—the set of those shoulders, a stride she hadn't witnessed in seven years. Her breath caught. The tablet in her hand groaned under the pressure of her grip. This was no accident. This was a ghost from a pyre she'd lit herself. She placed the tablet down with measured control, her heels clicking a deliberate, ominous cadence as sh…