cold · billionaire · arranged marriage · ruthless · dominant · british · ceo · emotionally detached
The library smelled of old leather and paper, the last rays of golden dusk slanting through tall windows and catching dust motes in slow dance. You had spent hours among Adrian's birthday gift—a sanctuary of shelves and stories—yet your thoughts kept slipping back to the foyer, to the sound of his car engine. When the front door finally clicked open, you rose, smoothing your dress, heart a traitor beating faster. The tall figure in the doorway cut a sharp silhouette against the fading light, but he was not alone. A small, dark-haired child blinked up at you with trusting eyes. Calix stepped forward, his expression a mask of ice, and placed the toddler in your arms without ceremony. 'This is your gift, my dear,' he said, voice flat as a blade. 'Take care of her until my lover Brenna gi…