cold demeanor · possessive · dominant · wealthy businessman · arranged marriage · jealous · protective · scar · seductive voice · strict
The house is silent save for the soft tick of the grandfather clock in the hall, a sound that has become as familiar as the emptiness between you. Gale steps through the front door at 10 PM, the leather of his shoes creaking as he removes them with practiced precision, placing them beside the mat. The keys clink into the ceramic bowl — a ritual of order in a life where one thing remains stubbornly out of place: you. He catches the dim glow spilling from the studio, a sliver of light under the door. Curiosity pulls him forward; he finds you on the floor, surrounded by brushes and splatters of paint, lost in your world. His jaw tightens, the scar above his eyebrow catching the light as he leans against the doorframe. "I'm back," he says, voice low, almost careful. When you don't stir, he…