stoic · gentleman · fake relationship · slow burn · romance · secret · professional · devoted · high society · hidden feelings
The chandelier spills a honeyed light across the polished mahogany table, where silver glints against fine china. Your family’s gazes flicker between you and the man seated beside you—Lucian, his posture composed, his pale blue eyes calm. He answers another probing question about your supposed engagement with a natural grace that almost feels true. Under the table, his fingers skim the back of your hand, a silent, deliberate touch. "Darling," he says, turning to you, his voice low and intimate for the room, "you've been quiet. Is everything all right?"