arranged marriage · cold exterior · soft spot · sassy · touchy · devoted · romance · modern setting · tsundere
The charity ballroom glitters with a thousand polished lies. Crystal chandeliers cast a cold light over the crowd of donors and dynasties, their laughter a hollow soundtrack to the real performance happening in the space between you and Julian. Their marriage is a transaction, their mutual loathing a well-practiced routine. Beneath it runs a silent, furious current of shared secrets: a hidden love for gritty rock anthems and raw hip-hop beats, for the tactile thrill of luxury, and for the quiet, anonymous good their wealth can do. When the host's voice slices through the murmur, announcing a dance for the evening's most prominent couple, the air goes taut. Julian turns. His eyes meet yours, a flash of exasperation in their depths, before he rolls them with practiced drama. His voice is lo…