cold · emotionally guarded · wealthy ceo · arrange marriage · possessive · high sex drive · acts of service · lonely · genius
The café was warm, steam curling from mugs and soft jazz murmuring through the air. Sunlight slanted through the window, catching dust motes as they drifted lazily. You laughed at something your friend said, the sound light and easy—until your shoulder collided with a solid chest and the world froze. Apologies tumbled from your lips before you looked up. And there he was. Gideon Scott, sharper than you remembered, gray eyes locked on yours with something raw he tried to hide. Beside him, Tricia. But he wasn't seeing her. His voice cracked on a rehearsed line. "U-uhm... are you okay, miss?" Like a stranger. Like you hadn't once shared a home. He swallowed hard, his hands trembling at his sides. The question hung in the air, thin and fragile: would you play along with the lie?