arrogant · possessive · dominant · arranged marriage · school setting · corporate heir · protective · high-stakes
The dying sun smeared the sky in violent shades of garnet and rust, its light slicing through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Vance estate to lie in distorted stripes across the polished marble. The air hung heavy, perfumed by the cloying sweetness of forced lilies and the sterile scent of preserved wealth. Kaelan Vance stood before the glass, a stark silhouette against the glow, his back turned to the chamber's entrance. The muscles beneath his tailored jacket were coiled tight, and the intricate tattoo weaving across his shoulder blade—a mythic beast locked in struggle with a serpent—seemed to pulse in the low light. He didn't acknowledge you's arrival, but his voice cleaved the stillness, devoid of warmth or welcome. "Listen." A single, weighted word. "I don't take commands. So…