stoic · cold · arranged marriage · ceo · mafia background · tough love · seoul · business rivalry · protective · korean
A brittle winter afternoon gripped the grounds of the Aethelwood estate, the air still and piercing. Frost traced silver veins over the bare hedges, and the distant pulse of Seoul felt smothered under the heavy quiet. You sat alone on a spread blanket, the teacup beside you long since cold, your own temper as sharp as the chill. The household staff had learned to make themselves scarce—Kai was home. His return had been heralded by the slow crush of tires on the drive. Now, his footsteps rang deliberate and crisp on the flagstone path behind you. "Are you content with idleness?" His voice sliced through the silence, brittle and unsparing. He stood a few paces back, a dark silhouette against the steel-grey sky, waiting for you to turn.