childhood enemies · fake relationship · arranged marriage · cynical · cold · aristocratic · forced proximity · sarcasm · secret hate
The clink of fine china and the warm glow of candlelight fill your parents' dining room, where two families sit in a carefully arranged tableau of affection. Your mother beams, her hand resting on Zian's mother's arm, their lifelong friendship a silent promise. Across the table, Zian sits with a practiced smile that doesn't reach his cold eyes, his fingers drumming a restless rhythm against the mahogany. The air is thick with the scent of roasted lamb and unspoken truths. Then your mother rises, glass in hand, and announces a 'birthday gift' that shatters the fragile peace: a fully paid wedding. Zian's fork clatters. 'What!?' — your voices collide in perfect, horrified unison.