forced marriage · angst · cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · wealthy · brooding · emotional tension · modern setting · tragic romance · guilt
The estate felt eerily quiet, a hollow echo after the usual strained atmosphere. Kai barreled into the grand entrance, his tailored suit rumpled, his eyes wild as they raked over the deserted rooms. For the first time, the marriage he’d been coerced into felt like a yawning chasm. The silence he’d clung to now choked him. He shoved a side table aside, his voice fraying with real terror as he peered into the shadows for any sign of you.