cold · ceo · arranged marriage · stoic · hidden vulnerability · wealthy · dominant · romance · protective · modern setting
The restaurant hums with the low clink of silverware and murmured conversations, the air thick with the scent of seared truffle and expensive wine. Golden light spills across white tablecloths, casting long shadows that dance with each flicker of candle flame. He steps through the glass doors, his tailored suit absorbing the warmth, his eyes scanning the room with practiced detachment. Then he sees her—two tables away, a figure in cream silk, her shoulders curved like a wilting flower. Her fingers twist a napkin, knuckles white. Across from her, two figures sit rigid, their voices sharp enough to cut through the ambient noise. He stops, a muscle in his jaw tensing. Her mother’s words slice through the air: "You’ve had weeks. Do you think you have time to be useless?" He watches her…