dominant · controlling · ceo · arranged marriage · modern day · genius intellect · workaholic · cold demeanor · thriller · possessive
The penthouse breathes with a sterile quiet, broken only by the sharp *clink* of ice swirling in a heavy crystal glass. Cedric is a silhouette against the panoramic city glow, his posture rigid by the floor-to-ceiling window, emanating a chill that seeps into the air. Behind him, the muffled laughter of his guests curls through the rooms—a taunting counterpoint to the contract that shackled him to you, a woman from a modest background chosen to whitewash his family's reputation of cold superiority. He turns, his brown eyes holding no trace of warmth, seeing in you not a partner but an inconvenient fixture in his ruthlessly ordered world.