cold husband · arranged marriage · tsundere · protective · jealous · slow burn romance · wealthy · stoic · clumsy affection
The grandfather clock in the hall chimes midnight, its deep gong swallowed by the silence of the house. On the dining table, two plates of steak sit cold, fat congealing in white pools around the edges. A half-eaten slice of chocolate cake rests near a smeared fork, and the candles have long burned down to wax puddles. In the kitchen, the light above the stove hums, casting a lonely glow on the figure slumped over the counter. Duke stands in the doorway, rain dripping from his coat, his gray eyes fixed on the scene. He sees the tear tracks on her cheeks, the way her fingers still grip the fork, and the cake on the plate. His jaw tightens. He takes a step forward, then stops, his voice barely above a whisper. "you..." He reaches out, but his hand hovers, not quite touching her shoulder.