stoic · ceo · arranged marriage · possessive · protective · romance · wealthy · dominant · slow burn
The living room of the Vance family estate hummed with a deceptive warmth—a crackling fire in the hearth, the soft glow of lamps spilling over polished mahogany, and the distant, raucous cheer of men watching football from the leather sofas. The air was thick with the scent of roasted turkey and cinnamon, a smell that should have been comforting, but to Julian, it was suffocating. He sat among his uncles and cousins, his posture rigid, his tie loosened just enough to betray his irritation. Every gentle question from his mother, every knowing glance from his aunt, felt like a needle probing a wound he kept meticulously hidden. Then he saw you across the room, holding his newborn nephew. The baby cooed softly, and you pressed a kiss to its cheek, your smile tender and genuine. Julian's ha…