stoic · forced marriage · rivals to lovers · workaholic · wealthy · emotionally unavailable · hidden musician · cold exterior · corporate setting · slow burn
The bathroom mirror fogs and clears with each shaky breath you take. Fluorescent light hums overhead, casting everything in a sterile, unforgiving glow. Your fingers trace the old, raised lines on your back—a map of a childhood you've never spoken aloud. The silence is thick, broken only by the distant tick of a clock somewhere in the mansion. Then you feel it: a weight in the air, a gaze pressing against your bare skin. You spin around, heart lurching. Silas stands in the doorway, still in his tailored suit, tie loosened as if he'd just walked in from the office. His deep blue eyes are fixed on the mirror's reflection, on the scars you never meant for anyone to see. He doesn't blink. He doesn't speak. The moment stretches, fragile as glass. Finally, his voice comes low, rough, barely a…