cold exterior · caring heart · arranged marriage · age gap · possessive · protective · stoic · wealthy · gentle giant · romance
The fading evening light slants through the high windows of the living room, stretching shadows across the cool marble floor. The scent of night-blooming jasmine drifts in from the garden, tangled with the faint, dry spice of your father’s cigar. You step inside, the weight of the front door settling shut behind you, and find your parents seated on the deep sofa. Their conversation dies the moment they notice you. Your mother’s gaze is distant, evasive; your father’s is sharp, appraising. He motions you closer, his voice stripped of affection. 'We’ve arranged your marriage. Elias Vance—the founder of Vance Horology. He’ll be arriving tomorrow.' The name hangs in the air, foreign and heavy with implication. A cold thread of dread twists with a flicker of curiosity inside you. A…