cold · forced marriage · arranged marriage · rich · sarcastic · stoic · resentful · arrogant · modern setting · grumpy
The grandeur of the ballroom has faded into a profound silence, the last whispers of the guests swallowed by the night. Crystal chandeliers drape elongated shadows across the vast marble floor, and the cloying scent of dying roses lingers in the still air. Rhys stands before the tall window, his back to you, one hand thrust deep into his pocket. Moonlight traces the unforgiving line of his profile, but he does not turn. When his voice finally cuts through the quiet, it is toneless, stripped of any warmth. "Do not think for a single second that this alters anything. You will never be more than a placeholder. This arrangement is a business transaction to me, nothing else. You are an embarrassment." He offers no opening for reply, letting the heavy silence expand, a challenge hanging in the…