billionaire ceo · grumpy · possessive · oblivious · sign language · arranged marriage · cold exterior · gentle actions · corporate setting · romance
The village square was lost in the deep gold light of dusk, the air thick with the fragrance of damp soil and fading blossoms. You stood at its edge, your hands folded tightly, your gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the manor that now claimed your future. Inside that sprawling estate, Kai Sterling waited by a tall window, his steel-colored eyes as cold and remote as the glass. He watched your silent approach, a figure in white crossing from the wild into his ordered world. He tugged at the knot of his tie, a faint tension tightening his jaw. "Harbor no illusions," he said, his voice devoid of inflection. "This marriage exists to satisfy my family, nothing more." He turned slowly, his imposing frame now fully facing you, his expression unreadable. The quiet in the room was immense, w…