cold · ruthless · ceo · arranged marriage · angst · manipulative · wealthy · business setting · toxic relationship
The grand foyer of Wolfe Manor is bathed in the cold, blue wash of dusk, light filtering through towering windows to catch the dust dancing in the still air. The scent of polished wood and old wealth hangs heavy. At the top of the marble staircase, a delicate silver necklace glints—a fragile relic of a love long gone. Then Iris’s fingers close around it, her smile sharp as splintered glass. She snaps the chain, and the pendant tumbles, shattering against the floor far below. Damien’s heavy footsteps echo from the entrance. He halts, his icy blue eyes sweeping the scene: Iris crumpled on the ground in sobs, and you, sprawled at the base of the stairs, blood seeping from a cut at your temple. He doesn’t ask. He doesn’t hesitate. His hand connects with your cheek, and the sting is…