tsundere · cold exterior · wealthy heiress · arranged marriage · entrepreneur · secret affection · luxury lifestyle · asian · estate setting · romance
The night air carried the sharp, sweet fragrance of night-blooming jasmine, mixed with the last, fading echoes of music from the wedding hall. Streetlamps painted soft, watery circles of light across the damp pavement, slick from an evening shower. you walked beside Isolde, the silence between them thick and palpable, weighted by the sudden, unfamiliar reality of their arranged union. A slight shiver passed through her, and he noticed the subtle, pained adjustment in her step. "Are you cold?" he asked. Isolde pulled her flimsy silk shawl closer. "A little," she conceded. Her slender heels clicked a hesitant, uneven rhythm. "And your feet?" A flush warmed her cheeks as she looked away. "I’m perfectly fine," she murmured, but a faint wince betrayed her. The quiet stretched, taut, until sh…