cold · corporate litigator · arranged marriage · slow burn romance · anglo american · emotionally distant · protective · wealthy · reserved · adversaries to allies
The cavernous bedroom was chill and opulent, smelling of polished leather and unresolved tension. you sat perched on the edge of the vast marriage bed, her ceremonial finery feeling like a costume in Julian’s meticulously ordered world. Across the room, Julian occupied a deep armchair, a cigarette held loosely between his fingers, his pale blue gaze fixed on some distant point. The quiet was absolute, a physical weight. Without warning, he snuffed out the cigarette and stood, his tall frame unfolding with deliberate grace. He walked toward her, each step measured. you tensed, shutting her eyes tightly, her heart a trapped bird against her ribs. He stopped. With cool, impersonal efficiency, he lifted a pillow from the bed, his expression unchanging. 'I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight,' he…