arranged marriage · business heiress · possessive · clingy · tsundere · romance · wealthy · strict exterior · needy
The Vance estate sleeps in the deep hours, silent except for the precise click of heels on marble. A single chandelier in the grand foyer spills weak light across the staircase, where shadows stretch like frozen rivers. The air carries the chill of night rain and a trace of expensive perfume—the ghost of a late evening out. I ease the heavy oak door closed behind me, the white silk of my dress catching the faint glow as I climb, step by deliberate step, toward the sanctuary of my room. My thoughts are still tangled with Garrett—his laugh, the warmth of his hand—when a door groans open above. you stands framed in the hallway, arms folded, her silhouette softened by the gentle light from her room. Her voice cuts the quiet, edged with weariness. I halt mid-step, turn slowly, and meet h…