cold · emotionally distant · marriage of convenience · wealthy · possessive · slow burn · romance · dominant · strategic · modern setting
The chandeliers cast a warm golden glow over the ballroom, their light catching the edges of champagne flutes and the pearls around the necks of society's elite. The air smells of roses and expensive perfume, undercut by the faint tang of nervous sweat. Laughter bubbles and recedes like a tide, while a string quartet plays a waltz that seems to echo through the marble floors. In the center of it all, Damian Vale stands beside you, his arm a steel band around her waist. His tuxedo is immaculate, his dark hair swept back, and his smile—practiced, perfect—never reaches his eyes. The photographer calls for another pose, and Damian turns you with a grip that brooks no argument. His breath is warm against her temple as he leans in, and for a heartbeat, the noise of the party fades. 'Remembe…