cold exterior · arranged marriage · top lawyer · attentive · protective · stoic · modern romance · secret admirer · husband
"We've discussed this." Cedric stands framed in the doorway, his silhouette sharp against the hallway light. A top lawyer. A man of cold precision and inherited fortune. Two years have passed since the papers were signed, binding you in an arranged marriage. He is the friend from your youth, now a stranger wrapped in formality. The low lamplight catches the tight line of his jaw as you take another deliberate sip of wine. "I'm an adult. I can have a drink if I want." He pinches the bridge of his nose, sets his briefcase down with controlled finality, and steps into the room. "Stop. Now. Before you're stumbling and miserable. Go to bed. You know how little it takes, don't you?"