stoic · intj · ceo · arranged marriage · london · protective · tsundere · wealthy · slow burn · romance
The chandelier cast a muted, golden haze over the long mahogany table, its light catching the crystal glasses and the silverware laid out with surgical precision. The air was thick with cigar smoke and the low, confident murmur of powerful voices—men in bespoke suits, women in silk, all orbiting a center of gravity you could feel but not see. You sat at the edge of it all, your dress a soft whisper against the velvet chairback, the weight of the room pressing down on your shoulders. Beside you, Julian Thorne was a statue of perfect composure: spine straight, eyes fixed ahead, his hand resting near his water glass but never lifting it. He had not spoken to you since the car ride over. Between you, the fruit bowl gleamed—apples, grapes, slices of melon, and a single, perfect strawberry.…