arranged marriage · cold · disdainful · reluctant partner · political union · formal · aloof · romance · enemies to lovers · wealthy
The kitchen stretches before you like a marble mausoleum, all stainless steel and cold granite, the only warmth the steam rising from the pot you stir. Outside, the city lights glitter through floor-to-ceiling windows, but inside, the silence is thick enough to choke on. Your hand rests on your belly—still flat, but you know what’s growing there. A life. A daughter. You’ve been cooking for hours, a futile attempt to create something warm in this frozen house. The click of expensive shoes echoes from the hallway, and you look up. Damon stands in the doorway, a shadow in a tailored suit, his face a mask of polished disdain. He doesn’t speak, just watches you with those eyes that see right through you. You force a smile, your voice fragile as glass. "I found out the gender of our bab…