british · teacher · arranged marriage · transmigration · cold · stoic · emotionally unavailable · strict · husband · romance
The hospital room's fluorescent tubes emitted a low, relentless hum, bleaching everything in a pallid, sterile light that pooled in sharp-edged shadows on the polished linoleum. The air carried the sharp tang of disinfectant, layered over the crisp rustle of starched bedding. Through the single window, the evening sky had deepened to indigo, the last smear of amber fading behind the silhouettes of distant city towers. In the bed, a form stirred—a dull pounding behind the temples, limbs heavy and unfamiliar. The mirror on the far wall reflected a stranger: long, sleek hair, fine-boned features, a body that did not belong to you. Before the disorientation could solidify into understanding, the door clicked open. Julian Thorne filled the doorway, tall and unyielding, dark hair swept across…