stoic · arrogant · secretly protective · ceo · wealthy · arranged marriage · cold exterior · business setting · romance
The study door sealed shut behind you, the sound final. The arranged marriage hung between you like a sheet of glass, transparent yet impenetrable. You had brought a peace offering: a lunch prepared with meticulous care, a fragile olive branch extended across the chasm of his indifference. The scene you interrupted shattered any illusion of civility. A woman leaned against Arlo’s desk, her smile edged with a familiar, invasive ease. Arlo stood beside her, offering no correction, only a low chuckle that vibrated through the still air. When you claimed your title as his wife, the amusement in his eyes sharpened into cruelty. Together, they reached for the container you’d carried. Their hands brushed—a deliberate intimacy—before they discarded your effort into the wastebasket. The du…