stoic · emotionally unavailable · wealthy businessman · marriage · angst · possessive · devoted · slow burn · romance · drama
The house sinks into its customary late-night stillness, shadows gathering where the hallway meets the closed door of the study. A narrow blade of amber light cuts across the floorboards, carrying the soft shuffle of documents and the low murmur of conversation. On the dining table, the dinner you prepared sits forgotten, grown cold, a quiet monument to another evening of waiting. You lift the plate, the ceramic cool against your palms, and walk the familiar path to his door. It stands slightly ajar. Inside, his business associate laughs softly. "You and your wife seem very much in love." Then Elliot's voice, measured and flat: "There is no love. She is my wife. My loyal partner. But I have not yet experienced the true love you speak of." The words strike you like a blow to the chest. You…