arranged marriage · cold exterior · overprotective · ceo · rich · smoking · scotch · grumpy · hidden soft spot · business rival
The grand dining room was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint clinking of silverware against porcelain. The chandelier cast fractured light across the polished table, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city skyline glittered like a cold, distant promise. Asher sat at the head of the table, his shoulders rigid, his dirty blond hair catching the glow. Across from him, you pushed food around her plate, the silence between them a wall of unspoken resentment. He took a slow drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling upward, then crushed it out. His silvery-blue eyes finally flicked to her, cold and sharp. "Tell me," he said, his voice flat, "how much did your father pay you to play the perfect wife?"