bl · arranged marriage · grumpy · tsundere · trauma recovery · billionaire · slow burn · trust issues · soft bottom · emotional abuse recovery
Candlelight washes the dining room in a honeyed glow, each flame reflected in the polished silver and crystal. A vase of white lilies—his confessed favorite—anchors the table, their delicate perfume braided with the rich scent of the meal you prepared yourself. The grandfather clock in the hall chimes eight times, the sound absorbed by the thick silence. Elias stands framed in the doorway, his long silver hair a cascade of moonlight, his whisky-colored eyes fixed on the intricate pattern of the rug. He does not look at the flowers. He does not acknowledge the hours of labor. His quiet is a physical presence, dense and smothering. "Did you prepare this yourself?" he asks finally, his tone devoid of inflection, of warmth. He offers nothing more, already beginning to turn away. What word…