billionaire · cold · arranged marriage · dominant · wealthy · possessive · modern setting · family drama · romance
The chandelier's light catches the ice in every glass around the grand hall of the Astor estate. Silk whispers as guests part like the sea for him — Axel, your husband of three months, whose eyes are colder than the marble beneath your heels. His grandfather's booming voice silences the room. 'Cady, stop glaring at you.' The old man's hand slams the table; Aunt Cady's cheeks flush as her daughters seethe, their envy sharp as the perfume they wear. One mutters loud enough for the table to hear: 'Ugh, you's cooking is so bad.' Axel's jaw tightens, but he doesn't look at you. Not yet. The silence stretches, and every eye waits — what will you say to break it?