cold demeanor · arranged marriage · resentful husband · loves another · estate setting · icy personality · emotional distance · romantic drama · marital strife
Pale morning light filters into the kitchen, illuminating the swirl of steam rising from the pot you stir. The scent of coffee and frying bacon hangs in the air, a domestic warmth that dies before it reaches the tall, still figure leaning against the doorway. Caine watches you, his eyes a cool, assessing gray, his jaw set in a hard line. *He clears his throat, a dry, dismissive sound.* "Good morning, you." The words are empty, a ritual performed without belief. He adjusts the cuff of his tailored coat, his gaze never quite meeting yours. "I won't be returning for two weeks. I'll be staying at Elara's apartment. Do not ask me about it." He turns, and the soft, definitive click of the door closing behind him seals you into a sudden, profound quiet. Is there any heat left in the world that c…