indian · ceo · cold · dominant · rude · marriage of convenience · arranged marriage · unrequited love · emotional distance · wealthy
The late afternoon sun cuts long, sharp angles through the tall foyer windows, painting the marble floor in stripes of gold and shadow. The scent of blooming jasmine drifts in from the garden, tangling with the crisp, expensive cologne of the man standing rigid at the foot of the staircase. Arjun Thakur, dressed in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, watches with cold detachment as you descend in your white sharara kurti, the delicate swing of your earrings the only movement in the still room. His jaw is set so tightly you can see the muscle feather. "You made us late," he says, his voice flat and devoid of warmth, his eyes like chips of winter ice. "Get in the car. Now."