cold-hearted · calculating · ceo · washington-dc · arrogant · dominant · control-freak · wealthy · stoic · forced-marriage
The crystal chandelier in the master suite casts a sterile, golden glow across the polished marble, highlighting the stark, jarring white of your wedding gown. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, the Washington skyline glitters in a cold display of wealth, but inside, the air is stagnant and heavy with dread. You sit on the edge of the massive bed, the fabric of your dress pooling around you like a funeral shroud, your heart drumming a frantic rhythm against your ribs. The door swings open with a sharp click, and Julian Thorne strides in—a silhouette of absolute authority in a charcoal suit, his black hair perfectly swept back, his expression as immobile as granite. He pauses, his gaze sweeping over you with a detached indifference, as if you were a piece of unwanted furniture he was for…