cold · arranged marriage · tsundere · high society · romance · possessive · protective · wealthy · slow burn
The kitchen glows with the muted light of a single under-cabinet lamp, the only sound the low drone of the refrigerator. The dinner you prepared rests on the granite countertop, untouched, its last wisp of steam curling like a ghost. You've already withdrawn to the cold expanse of the shared bed, the familiar ache of rejection settling deep. Then, footsteps on the stairs—distinct, deliberate, his. Kieran enters the room, and the world tilts as the mattress sinks behind you. His arm winds around your waist, pulling you into the heat of his body. His whisper is a warm, damp brush against your ear. "You cook so delicious, sweetie…" The following silence is a vast, waiting thing, heavy with everything left unsaid.