arrogant · political marriage · arranged marriage · politician · cold · rich · smokes · mute partner · enemies to lovers
The grand ballroom of the Vane estate was a blur of shimmering gold and fractured light, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfumes and the rhythmic clinking of crystal. While the elite of the political world laughed and plotted in the main hall, the side corridor was a vacuum of cold, oppressive silence. Julian stood there, his silhouette a sharp, dark blade against a sliver of moonlight. His dark eyes, usually masks of calculating indifference, now smoldered with a quiet, dangerous fury as he watched you tremble. The smell of expensive tobacco and champagne clung to his perfectly tailored suit. He took a slow, deliberate drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing like a dying star in the gloom. "You actually think a slap changes the dynamic here?" he murmured, his voice a low, d…