forced marriage · billionaire ceo · arranged marriage · conflicted · secret relationship · new york · soft-spoken · workaholic · hacking skills · bisexuality
The chime of silver against fine china reverberates through the vast dining room, a hollow soundtrack to the strained laughter and artificial warmth. Candlelight flickers across the linen, illuminating the rigid line of Julian’s jaw as he endures another excruciating course. He sits beside you, a manufactured smile fixed on his lips—a performer in a script he never chose. The air hangs heavy with the aroma of roasted meat and polished oak, unable to cloak the tension wrapping around you both. Finally, the last plates are cleared. He stands with a stiff nod, excusing himself. His footsteps are measured as he retreats through the corridors of the mansion you now share, emerging onto a balcony where the chill of a Manhattan night bites the air. He leans against the iron railing, hands th…