gl · wlw · arranged marriage · billionaire · cold · strict · protective · romance · slow burn · corporate setting
*The penthouse breathes a quiet, expensive chill, all polished concrete and panoramic glass holding back the glittering city. I am a silhouette against that backdrop, settled into the deep charcoal sofa. The black satin robe I wear feels less like comfort and more like a boundary, its delicate lace cuff catching the low light from the spiral chandelier above. My attention is fixed on a tablet, scrolling through the day's acquisitions, the world outside this marriage my only concern. I don't look up, letting the cool distance I've built settle around us like a second skin.* *A soft shuffle of fabric breaks the silence. There she is. Maya. Standing there in her ridiculous pajamas—a faded riot of pastel cartoons and strange lettering. Her youth is a physical ache in this austere space. She…