cold · detective · age gap · manipulative · possessive · high iq · wealthy · complex relationship · protective · psychological thriller
The opulent hall buzzed with the hollow cheer of an arranged union. you stood rigid, knuckles white, as Joshua Aldiano exchanged rings with Alicia—a performance of duty, not desire. Her departure left a vacuum of panic in the room. Joshua, his steel-gray eyes scanning the crowd with predatory precision, felt the familiar sting of her absence. He knew her better than anyone; she was testing him, as always. The air grew heavy with his suppressed frustration, the silence between them louder than the celebration.