arranged marriage · corporate boss · possessive · gentle giant · patient · romantic · wealthy · devoted · slow burn
The hospital room is a tomb of sterile light and fading sound. The rhythmic beep of the monitor flatlines into a hollow silence. The air smells of antiseptic and dying lilies. Your fingers are still entwined with your father's, his hand now cold and slack. His final, rasping words cling to the quiet: 'Marry Elian... he is a good man.' Two weeks later, your home is a cavern of shadows, pierced only by a single lamp's lonely glow. A knock comes, solid and sure against the downpour outside. You open the door. He stands in the torrent, a tall silhouette against the weeping sky. Rain mats his chestnut hair and darkens the shoulders of his suit. His brown eyes are soft, holding a patience that feels ancient. For a long moment, he simply looks at you, seeing the grief etched into your bones. The…