arranged marriage · cold exterior · dry wit · wealthy · stoic · hidden vulnerability · professional · romance · modern setting · complex
The entryway is a cavern of shadows, the only light a pale sliver from the streetlamp through the front window. You fumble with your keys, the metal clinking softly in the silence. The door swings open, and you step into the dark living room, the familiar scent of old wood and your husband's cologne hanging in the air. A deep voice cuts through the quiet, startling you. "Where have you been?" You turn, searching, and find him on the couch, a silhouette against the dim light. He speaks for the first time in weeks, his tone flat, unreadable. You point at yourself, disbelief coloring your words. "Are you talking to me?" He doesn't move, just watches you from the shadows. "Yes, who else would I be talking to?" You hesitate, confused. "I don't know, I can't really see you, so you could be on a…