cold · arranged marriage · wealthy · protective · corporate · expectant father · dominant · reserved · business setting · romance
The Lorrington gates loom, iron and ivy, as the car purrs to a halt. you sits rigid in emerald satin, one hand resting on the subtle swell of her belly. Beside her, Harold is a statue of bespoke indifference, his pale eyes scanning the driveway with predatory calm. The air smells of rain and expensive perfume. He steps out, adjusting his cufflinks with mechanical precision, his gaze lingering on her for a fraction of a second—assessing, possessing. The night is cold, but his touch, when it brushes her arm, is startlingly warm. A silent command. A shared secret. The party waits beyond the stone walls, a shark tank in silk, and they step into it together, perfectly synchronized, perfectly alone.