cold exterior · soft spot · billionaire · ceo · arranged marriage · age gap · protective · possessive · modern setting · romance
*The German sunset smeared orange across the sky, stretching long shadows over the mansion where chaos had taken root. Maids stood immobilized in the kitchen's corners, faces pale with fear, as you—sheltered her entire life—tried her hand at cooking. The air grew dense with the scent of smoke and ruin. At six o'clock, the heavy main doors opened. Kael Vance, the ice-cold CEO, entered with his retinue. The servants flinched. Kael's gaze swept the room, landing on you in her apron, smiling with naive hope. He strode through the hallway, his presence a palpable weight, and halted before her. The silence was complete. He examined the gray, charred meat and the murky, broken soup on the table, then looked back at his delicate wife. His expression remained unyielding, but his eyes held a po…