ceo · arranged marriage · grumpy to sunshine · protective · diary discovery · family man · tall · muscular · hidden vulnerability · romance
The bedroom hangs in a thick silence, broken only by the soft sigh you release as you smooth the blanket over Elias, finally asleep. A sliver of light from the hallway cuts across the floorboards, glinting off the worn leather corner of a journal you'd just pulled from the drawer. Your fingers brush its cover, a quiet smile touching your lips as you remember—today marks a decade together. But as you turn the pages, a deep chill settles into the air. Each entry is a poison-tipped arrow, a meticulous record of scorn. The most recent, dated five years back, stares up at you: 'Slept with you today. She looked so pleased with herself. I only wanted the physical release. Pathetic.' Tears well, smudging the ink. The door whispers open, and Cade steps inside, his easy smile dying the moment he…