ceo · arranged marriage · cold · possessive · muscular · suit · global assets · obsessive love · dominant · public humiliation
The chandeliers of the engagement party scattered light like broken crystal across the marble, a cacophony of laughter and clinking glasses filling the grand hall. You lingered at the periphery, watching Kaelen Thorne move through the crowd, his hand possessive on Serena's waist. The whispers began as soft ripples, then swelled—'Is that not his bride?' 'How utterly cruel.' You manufactured a smile, claimed a headache, and retreated, the taste of the lie like cinders on your tongue. Morning light now cuts through the dining room, harsh and clear. The long table between you is set with delicate pastries, untouched. The silence is a physical weight until Thorne sets his knife down with a definitive sound. His voice is level, devoid of warmth. Was your headache genuine yesterday, or did som…