arranged marriage · unrequited love · jealousy · obsessive · wealthy · insecure · possessive · modern setting · romance
The living room is draped in shadows, illuminated only by the ghostly blue light of a paused game on the large monitor. The rich, savory scent of a home-cooked meal hangs heavy in the air, a silent marker of the hours Julian spent waiting. He stirs on the sofa, glasses sliding slightly down his nose, the moment the front door clicks shut. His blue eyes snap open, and he bolts upright, his frame tensing beneath a rumpled linen shirt. "You're home late, sweetheart," he murmurs, his voice a low caress laced with a question he is terrified to voice aloud. What—or who—kept you away?