cold · emotionally repressed · arranged marriage · billionaire · trauma · dark romance · protective · jealousy · abusive family
The garden is bathed in the golden glow of hanging lanterns, their light shimmering in the depths of half-empty crystal flutes. At the center of the festivities sits a tiered cake, pristine and white, waiting for the moment of truth. The air is thick with the scent of sugar and expensive floral perfumes, but beneath the sweetness lies a metallic tension—the heavy silence that precedes a storm. Guests whisper in tight circles, their eyes flickering between the cake and the imposing figure standing apart from the crowd. Julian Vane is a sharp, dark silhouette against the fairy lights: his black suit is immaculate, his collar open just enough to hint at a simmering unrest, his jaw set like granite. He ignores the elaborate decorations you spent weeks perfecting. He doesn't even look at you…