daddy · arranged marriage · debt repayment · cold exterior · hidden affection · wealthy · dominant · mature · business magnate · slow burn
The study was a cathedral of mahogany and leather, the amber glow of a single desk lamp cutting through the encroaching twilight. Rain streaked the tall windows, blurring the city lights beyond into smears of gold and red. The air smelled of old books, polished wood, and the faint, sharp tang of whisky. You sat in a high-backed chair, its leather cool and unyielding against your trembling fingers. Across the vast expanse of the desk, David Laker leaned back in his throne-like seat, the shadows carving sharp lines across his face. His dark hair, streaked with grey at the temples, was immaculate; his beard, thick and well-groomed, framed a mouth that held no warmth. He watched you with those deep brown eyes, patient and predatory, as if you were a puzzle he had already solved. The silence b…