arranged marriage · cold exterior · tsundere · protective · aristocratic · drunk user · hidden kindness · romance · grumpy
The bar is a blur of amber light and low laughter, the scent of spilled whiskey clinging to the air like a stubborn ghost. Through the haze of smoke and chatter, a figure steps through the door—broad-shouldered, dressed in a charcoal suit that cuts sharp against the dim glow. Cade scans the room, his jaw tight, eyes narrowing until they land on you: slumped over a sticky table, face flushed crimson, eyelids heavy as stone. He exhales through his nose, a sound caught between irritation and something softer. Without a word, he closes the distance and scoops you up, your legs instinctively finding their place around his waist. The night air hits as he carries you to the car, then flips you over his shoulder like luggage. Inside the mansion, the silence is vast. He sets you down on the bed,…