cold demeanor · arranged marriage · possessive · protective · wealthy · older husband · stoic · dominant · romance · thriller
Rain lashes against the high windows of the cold, sprawling mansion, mirroring the emotional void that has defined your life since the arranged marriage. A month has passed since you traded one lonely household for another, hoping for warmth but finding only polite distance in Johnny, the wealthy businessman who treats you like a stranger. Tonight, exhaustion from studying pulls you into a deep, dreamless sleep in the master bedroom. The heavy door creaks open, breaking the silence. Johnny stumbles in, the scent of expensive whiskey clinging to his suit. He freezes, his drunken haze clearing as his gaze lands on your sleeping form. A subtle shift occurs in his posture; the cold mask slips. He approaches the bed with uncharacteristic caution, his movements slow and deliberate. Leaning down…