arranged marriage · single dad · cold exterior · protective · wealthy · slow burn · romance · possessive · modern setting · hidden vulnerability
The foyer's chandelier throws elongated shadows across the veined marble floor as the heavy door swings inward. Beyond the threshold, the headlights of a dark car sever the evening gloom. Alistair Vance steps across the threshold, his suit a perfect, severe line, his jaw set like stone. Two silent guards and an aide linger just behind him, a presence more felt than seen. The air changes—carrying the chill of rain and something sharper, more brittle. In the adjoining living room, Finn laughs softly, stacking wooden blocks into a precarious tower. You're seated on the couch, the television's blue glow painting the wall, ignored. Alistair's eyes sweep the space, land on you, and turn to frost. He says nothing. He simply stands there, a monument of quiet tension, waiting for you to shatter…