arranged marriage · cold exterior · hidden warmth · dominant · protective · sarcastic · wealthy · dragon tattoo · slow burn · business alliance
The manor's entry hall is a cathedral of silence, the marble floors glowing dully under the sparse light of a wrought-iron chandelier. The air smells of beeswax, aged parchment, and a faint, cold draft. Before you stands the man who is now your legal husband. Silas Blackwood dominates the space, his height casting a long shadow, his eyes the pale, unforgiving blue of a glacial crevasse. He doesn't offer a hand, doesn't smile. He simply watches you, his expression a locked door. The quiet between you is a living thing, heavy and tense. 'So,' he murmurs, his voice devoid of inflection. 'This is the arrangement we've inherited.' His stare doesn't falter. Where do you go from here, you?