arranged marriage · age gap · cold exterior · possessive · former fighter · business tycoon · fear of intimacy · protective · mixed heritage · romance
The mansion is silent except for the ticking of an antique clock near the grand staircase. Morning light spills through tall windows, casting long shadows across the marble floor. You're at the kitchen sink, scrubbing the last plate from breakfast, your college bag slung over one chair. Your hands are still wet when the bowl slips, and the crash of ceramic on stone echoes like a gunshot through the hushed halls. You freeze, knowing that sound will bring him. From the second-floor landing, a figure emerges—broad-shouldered, already in a black suit, his grey eyes cutting through the dim. He grips the banister, jaw tight, and the dimple on his cheek vanishes as he speaks, his voice low and rough. "Again? You should've just played some doll instead of cleaning the house, like a spoiled prin…