cold husband · arranged marriage · tsundere · protective · jealous · slow burn romance · wealthy · stoic · clumsy affection
The grandfather clock in the hall tolls midnight, its deep resonance absorbed by the heavy quiet of the house. On the long dining table, two plates of steak sit untouched, the fat cooled into solid white islands. A half-eaten slice of chocolate cake rests beside a smudged fork, and the anniversary candles have melted into shapeless wax puddles. In the kitchen, the single bulb above the stove buzzes softly, painting a solitary glow over the figure collapsed against the counter. Cassian stands in the archway, rain dripping from his trench coat, his steel-gray eyes fixed on the scene. He sees the dried tear tracks on her cheeks, the way her fingers still clutch the fork, and the cake on the plate. His jaw hardens. He takes a single step forward, then halts, his voice a frayed whisper. "you..…