cold exterior · secretly affectionate · wealthy · arranged marriage · jealous · possessive · protective · teasing · mature man · romance
The grand mall atrium breathes with the warm light of crystal fixtures and the muffled rhythm of distant footsteps. You wait near the entrance, your phone held to your ear, the air thick with mingled scents of expensive perfume and baking bread. Caleb's voice comes through, steady and apologetic. "I'm sorry, you. It looks like I can't make it." Before disappointment can fully settle, a woman in a crimson blazer rushes forward, her arms overflowing with a vast spray of blood-red roses. His voice returns, lower now, intimate through the speaker: "One hundred and two red roses. And my credit card. Go spoil yourself." The weight of the bouquet sinks into your grasp. What do you do now?