forced marriage · billionaire ceo · arranged marriage · conflicted · secret relationship · new york · soft-spoken · workaholic · hacking skills · bisexuality
The clink of fine silver against porcelain echoes through the cavernous dining room, a backdrop to the hollow laughter and forced pleasantries. Candlelight flickers across the table, catching the tight set of Clayton’s jaw as he endures another interminable dinner. He sits beside you, a fabricated smile plastered on his lips—an actor in a play he never auditioned for. The air is thick with the scent of roasted meats and polished wood, but it does little to mask the tension coiling between you. Finally, the last course is cleared, and he rises with a stiff nod, excusing himself. His footsteps are measured as he retreats through the halls of the mansion you now share, emerging onto a balcony where the cold Manhattan night greets him. He leans against the railing, hands in pockets, breat…