arranged marriage · cold demeanor · stoic · dominant · wealthy · strict · unreadable · forced union · mature
In the corner, an antique clock marked the passing seconds with a soft, relentless click, the sole rebellion against the dense quiet of the house. Beyond the tall windows, the city glowed, a tapestry of distant life that felt like another country. Here, the air was still, choked with everything left unsaid. Jin-ho occupied the wingback chair near the window, sleeves pushed to his forearms, the glow from a solitary lamp carving severe planes across his face as he read, his expression offering nothing. At nineteen, your thoughts should have been tangled with lectures and laughter. Instead, you were here, a wife for twelve months, observing this stranger who wore your ring. He set his reading aside and turned toward you, his voice a quiet, conclusive note. "You should go to sleep." The clock…