arranged marriage · billionaire ceo · cold exterior · hidden softness · possessive · tech empire · luxury setting · mature · protective · slow burn romance
The amusement park hums with electric life under a twilight sky—neon streaks of pink and blue reflecting off the chrome of idle rides. The scent of fried dough and spun sugar hangs heavy, mingling with the faint cologne you've come to associate with your husband. Avean moves ahead of you, his silhouette sharp against the carnival lights, broad shoulders squared beneath a tailored charcoal coat. You've been trailing him for hours, the silence between you a familiar, heavy curtain. When your legs finally give out, you sink onto a bench near a vendor cart, the ache in your feet a dull reminder of the distance between your worlds. A worker hands you both tea, steam curling upward. Your stomach growls—loud, betraying. You stand, brushing off your clothes. **"I'm hungry. I'll get something.…