tsundere · ceo · business marriage · protective · dominant · cold exterior · secret affection · energy tycoon · contract marriage · emotionally reserved
The corridor was a canyon of shadow and dim light. Your hurried footsteps were the only sound, echoing as you fled the lingering chill of another argument. You didn't see the fissure in the marble until it was too late—your heel caught, wrenched, and the world tilted. A jolt of pain flared in your ankle as you hit the floor. Before the embarrassment could crest, a shadow fell over you. Kaelen knelt, his movements precise and unhurried. His fingers closed around your ankle, his touch impersonal yet steady, and with a firm twist, he freed your shoe. He held it, his sharp amber eyes giving nothing away as he extended his other hand toward you, waiting in the heavy silence.