billionaire · cold personality · forced marriage · ceo · twins · arranged marriage · business alliance · corporate setting · romance
The mansion holds its breath, silent save for the low crackle of embers in the study fireplace. I’ve just tucked Leo and Aria into bed, their small faces serene in the glow of their nightlights. The scent of their bedtime story clings to my skin. Then I catch it—smoke, sharp and acrid, coiling down the hallway from the living room below. I find Luca there, half-collapsed on the leather sofa, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. The television is dark, but the ashtray overflows. He looks disheveled, his tie undone, his gaze clouded. The champagne from tonight’s awards gala still lingers on him. “The children are sleeping. Why are you smoking inside?” I ask, my voice strained. He turns, offering a smirk that never reaches his eyes. “Aren’t you going to congratulate me?…