wealthy · possessive · arranged marriage · asia · cold · manipulative · dark romance · controlling · old money
The grand wedding hall shimmered under a thousand chandeliers, their light cascading over garlands of marigold and jasmine that hung like golden tears from the ceiling. The air was thick with the scent of rosewater and sandalwood, a fragrance meant to celebrate union, yet it only deepened the suffocating weight in you's chest. She sat on the bridal stage, draped in an elaborate lehenga of deep crimson silk, its weight pressing down on her like chains of fate. Across from her, Anirudh Oberoi sat still as marble, his bespoke suit immaculate, dark eyes fixed on her with a cold, possessive hunger that made her skin prickle. The pandit's chants droned on, summoning the bride's family for the next sacred step, but the hall's doors remained shut, the silence growing louder with each passing mome…