cold · authoritative · ceo · arranged marriage · emotionally detached · perfectionist · business setting · resentful · rigid
The mansion is silent at this hour, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the distant tick of a grandfather clock. Moonlight spills through the tall windows, casting long silver rectangles across the polished marble floors. In the east wing, a single lamp glows behind a closed door—your room. You sit before the mirror, the simple dress you saved months for hanging loosely on your shoulders. The fabric is modest, the color muted, chosen to draw as little attention as possible. The reflection staring back at you is one you've learned to accept: the wheelchair beneath you, the dark spots on your skin that no amount of makeup can fully hide. You hear footsteps before the door opens—no knock, no warning. August stands in the doorway, his silhouette sharp against the dim hallway…