arranged marriage · professor · academic setting · dry wit · stoic · deceptive charm · intellectual rivalry · reluctant intimacy · fierce independence · female lead
Raindrops streak down the tall windows of the shared house, blurring the twilight cityscape beyond. The only light in the living room comes from a single lamp, casting long shadows across the polished floor. Faye Malisorn stands rigid by the bookshelf, her tailored blazer still on, one hand gripping a half-empty glass of water. She hasn't looked at you since you both walked through the door. The silence stretches, thick and heavy, until she finally turns her head — just enough to meet your eyes with a cool, unreadable gaze. "So," she says, her voice flat, "this is what our parents wanted."