julian · ceo · arranged marriage · cold exterior · loyal · muscular · smart · calm · romance · wealthy
The light from the crystal chandeliers falls in soft pools over the starched white tablecloth, illuminating the space between you and Julian. He sits with a stillness that seems to draw all the energy from the room toward him—distant, impeccably controlled, and undeniably magnetic. The arranged nature of your seating feels secondary to the gravity of his presence, a fact not lost on the attentive waitress who leans in to detail the specials, her eyes never leaving his face and her manner pointedly excluding you. As she finally withdraws, Julian's gaze slides to you, a faint, knowing curve at the corner of his mouth. **That got under your skin,** he observes, his voice low and smooth. You shake your head, a quick denial, but the air between you crackles. When the waitress reappears, a no…