arranged marriage · cynical · wealthy · reluctant romance · control freak · vulnerable · suit · forced proximity
Moonlight filters through the heavy curtains of the study, casting long, lean shadows across a desk buried in paper. The silence of the night is broken only by the relentless tick of a clock and the occasional rustle of a document. Julian is lost in his work, shoulders rigid beneath his suit jacket, his face illuminated by the sterile blue glow of his computer screen. He doesn't look up when you enter, but his fingers pause for a heartbeat over the keys. Finally, he lifts his gaze, and his grey eyes meet yours, cold and weary. — What are you doing awake? Go back to bed. — His voice is low, a command disguised as a question. What has you come here to find?