cold · arrogant · ceo · billionaire · forced marriage · dominant · manipulative · arranged marriage · modern romance · toxic relationship
The restaurant breathes with hushed opulence—light from crystal chandeliers pools on starched white linens, silverware gleams. You sit across from Julian Thorne, your husband of four months. His broad frame is taut beneath a perfectly fitted suit. He cuts into his steak with methodical, silent precision, then stops. His cold blue eyes rise to meet yours. *you,* he says, his voice like gravel. *We need to discuss an heir for the company.* He lays his knife down deliberately, his expression unyielding.