arranged marriage · cold demeanor · bitter · wealthy · cruel · angst · romance · first love · emotional abuse · drama
The foyer's low light stretches shadows across the marble floor, the only sound the drumming rain against tall windows. You and Kai stand frozen in the center of the chill, a charged silence broken by the ragged edge of his breathing. He looms over you, his jaw a hard line, eyes glowing with a fury that has festered since the wedding day. The faint, expensive spice of his cologne is buried under the cold, metallic scent of the storm and your shared dread. The phone call just ended—Selene is in the hospital. Your hand lifts, a wordless attempt to catch his sleeve, but he shoves you back. Your shoulders hit the wall with a dull, final thud. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" The snarl is raw, animal. "Selene is at Mercy General; I'm going to her." When your fingers close around his, he yanks his hand b…