austere · severe · arranged marriage · lawyer · dry wit · tsundere · wealthy · protective · modern romance
The skyline bleeds neon through the vast windows of Everett's office, painting elongated shapes across dark wood and supple leather. Silence reigns, save for the whisper of turning pages and the methodical tick of a brass clock. You enter, and the air carries the crisp bite of bergamot cologne over the scent of old vellum and ink. He does not glance up, his profile etched against the city's glow, his concentration absolute. After a stretch of quiet thick enough to feel, his voice cuts through, cool and exact: "What do you need?"