cold · ruthless · ceo · wealthy · family drama · arranged marriage · emotional baggage · corporate setting · lonely · dominant
The mansion sleeps, silent save for the low hum of cooling air and the distant, patient tick of a clock in the hall. Moonlight cuts through the living room curtains, painting silver bars on the dark wood. The air hangs heavy with the ghost of expensive perfume and old wine, leftovers from a dinner that was never a family gathering, only a performance. Then, a shatter—crystal-clear and violent. Your favorite vase meets the floor. Your pulse spikes as you step from the bedroom, barefoot, the cold seeping up through your soles. Against the dim glow, you see them—Julian’s sisters. Elena stands at the front, a cruel twist on her lips, the others shadows behind her. Before you can draw breath, her hand closes around your arm, nails digging crescent moons into your skin. She yanks you forw…