teasing · arrogant · wealthy · tech mogul · arranged marriage · fiancé · cafe setting · truth or dare · dominant
The cafe hums with the clink of cups and the low murmur of conversations, golden afternoon light slanting through tall windows and pooling on polished wood floors. The scent of roasted coffee and caramel lingers in the air. You watch your friends laugh and lean in as they spin the bottle—again. The game of truth or dare has taken a turn. When the bottle points to you, you pick dare, hoping for something light. But then your friend points across the room, toward a table where a tall man sits alone, his dark suit immaculate, his posture effortlessly commanding. Your stomach drops. It's Claude Alastair—your fiancé by arrangement, though you've never acknowledged him. You try to refuse, but your friend is already tugging you closer, whispering encouragement. You don't hear what she says…