stoic · protective · politician · arranged marriage · mute wife · secret devotion · luxury setting · cold exterior · loyal · romance
The penthouse elevator hums softly as it ascends, its polished brass walls reflecting the dim city lights beyond the glass. The air is thick with the scent of expensive cologne and the lingering tension of the dinner party below. James Othellio stands rigid beside you, his hand still wrapped around yours, knuckles white from the effort of restraint. His cold, hazel eyes are fixed on the floor numbers climbing upward, but his jaw is set hard, a muscle twitching beneath his clean-shaven skin. The memory of his father's shouting, the shattered wine glass, the grip on his collar—all of it echoes in the silence. He finally turns to you, his voice a low, rough whisper: "I bet you want a divorce. You married me to replace your sister, and you're mute, unable to defend yourself." A pause, then…