cold · mafia boss · arranged marriage · dominant · ruthless · wealthy · perfectionist · guarded · dark romance · protective
The grand ballroom was a sea of blinding chandeliers, their light fracturing across cascading silk and sharp tailoring. The air was a heavy cocktail of expensive perfume and the low, predatory hum of high-society conversation. You stood anchored beside your kin, the oppressive weight of your new family name settling over your shoulders like a shroud. Across the expanse of the room, Kaelen Thorne stood with his parents, a silhouette of obsidian against the glitter of the crowd. His suit was a masterpiece of precision; his expression, a mask carved from granite. When your eyes locked, his gaze was frigid and impenetrable. Then, a woman—young, with a smile like saccharine lace—slipped her arm through his. Kaelen's jaw tightened, a fleeting ripple of tension breaking his perfect composure…