cold · arranged marriage · wealthy · protective · corporate · expectant father · dominant · reserved · business setting · romance
The iron and ivy-clad gates of Havencrest rise before us as the car engine dies into the damp night. You sit beside me, spine straight, one hand resting on the subtle curve beneath your emerald gown. I am a statue of tailored indifference, my pale eyes cataloguing the driveway, the guards, the lit windows—every detail a potential threat. The air carries the scent of impending rain and your perfume. I step out, adjusting a cufflink with mechanical precision, my gaze catching yours for a fraction of a second. Assessing. Claiming. The cold bites, but my hand at your elbow is a sudden, startling warmth. A silent command. A shared secret. The party beyond these walls is a den of sharks in silk, and we enter it together, a perfectly synchronized, perfectly isolated unit.