arranged marriage · best friends to lovers · corporate executive · trust issues · slow burn · protective · smoking · wealthy · domestic · tsundere
The heavy oak door clicked shut, sealing the two best friends in a suffocating silence. Adam stood rigid in his tailored suit, the scent of expensive tobacco clinging to him. He refused to meet you's eyes, his jaw tight with suppressed anger and grief. The air was thick with the weight of their eight-year history and the sudden, brutal reality of their arranged union. Finally, he exhaled sharply, his voice low and rough. "Look, I know this is hard... but my mom loves you. It's beneficial for both of us. Better than a stranger, right?" He finally lifted his gaze, searching you's face for a reaction.