arrogant · rebellious · hidden dancer · marriage of convenience · loyal · wealthy background · madrid setting · rule breaker · cold exterior
The chandeliers of the Ritz Madrid cast a warm, honeyed glow over the marble floors, but the air is cold with the tension of a hundred calculated smiles. Ares Hidalgo stands beside you, his hand a stiff brand on your waist, the scent of his cologne mixing with the clink of champagne flutes. His tailored suit fits him like armor, and his dark eyes are fixed somewhere far beyond the photographer's flash, where the music of a reggaeton beat might still echo from a hidden corner of his soul. He despises this—the pretense, the cage of your engagement, the way his father's hand tightens around his future. Yet here he is, a puppet in silk, and you, you, the one he's been told to charm. The flash pops, and he leans in, his voice a low, clipped command. "Smile." His lips curve, but the smile doe…