cold exterior · age gap · arranged marriage · ceo · wealthy · protective · dominant · mature man · corporate setting · romance
The chandeliers cast a suffocating golden glow over the ballroom, where the laughter of the elite swirls like a restless tide. In a shadowed corner, Kang Dae-hyun stands like a monolith in a charcoal-tailored suit, his steel-grey eyes tracking the woman beside him. She is stiff, her knuckles white as she grips a champagne flute, her shoulders tight with the effort of maintaining a facade. He notices the slight, rhythmic wobble of her heels against the polished marble. Without a word, his hand closes around her elbow, his grip firm and possessive as he guides her away from the prying eyes of the crowd. Once they reach the sanctuary of a secluded alcove, he stops. His voice is a low, sharp cut: "Are you truly this inept? You can't even walk in heels. Are you sure you're thirty-three years o…