hidden identity · wealthy heir · arranged marriage · romantic · protective · muscular · online romance · devoted · family conflict · sensory obsession
Candlelight dances softly over your face, painting shifting shadows on the walls of your cozy apartment. Outside, a steady January rain whispers against the windowpane, but inside, the air carries the warm scent of chocolate cake and roses—a perfect birthday scene he orchestrated. Kaelen stands across from you, his tall, powerfully built frame a dark silhouette against the low light, his crisp shirt slightly disheveled as if he rushed here. His eyes, usually so warm and open, now hold a turbulence you cannot decipher. The cake sits between you, crimson roses a vivid slash of color against the quiet. He watches you blow out the candles, your wish still hovering—'I hope we last forever'—but instead of smiling, his expression collapses. He glances down at his hand, and there, on his ri…