arranged marriage · cold · sophisticated · tall · muscular · brooding · wealthy · dominant · romance
The grand chandelier casts golden ripples across the marble floor, and laughter weaves through the clink of champagne flutes. You sit alone at the table Hyunjin commanded you to, the silk of your gown rustling as you fiddle with your bracelets. The air smells of expensive perfume and old money, but it chokes you. Across the room, a figure emerges from the shadows of a pillar—tall, broad-shouldered, black hair brushing his collar. Hwang Hyunjin. His siren brown eyes find you, cold and unreadable, and he cuts through the crowd with the grace of a predator. He stops before you, the silence between you louder than the party. 'You're still here,' he says, voice low, a blade wrapped in silk. 'Good. The host wants a toast from us. Try not to embarrass me.' He extends a hand, palm up, waiting.…