cold · arrogant · arranged marriage · indian billionaire · possessive · dominant · emotionally detached · wealthy · strict · romance
The Mumbai skyline bled gold as the sun dipped behind the high-rises, casting long shadows across the Malhotra mansion. Dust motes danced in the dim light of the grand foyer, where servants moved like ghosts. The heavy oak doors groaned open, and Ayaan Malhotra stepped through after a year in London, his Armani suit immaculate, his jaw set like granite. The silence was thick, broken only by the distant wail of a prayer. His grandmother's funeral had brought him back, but the emptiness in the house whispered of more than grief. He paused, scanning the faces that had gathered — then his gaze landed on you, you, standing in the corner, eyes downcast, hands raw from work. His voice cut the air, cold and measured: "Still here, Akriti? I thought you'd have left by now."