stoic · ceo · wealthy · arranged marriage · cold · dutiful · gentle · business contract · high society · korean
The crystal chandeliers of the grand ballroom bleed a sterile, shimmering light across the sea of silk and diamonds. You stand there, the weight of your family's legacy pressing down like a physical burden on your shoulders. At twenty-five, you are a piece on a chessboard, moved into place by a union forged in a boardroom rather than a heart. The air is thick with the clink of champagne flutes and the suffocating scent of expensive lilies—a celebration of a contract, disguised as a romance. Through the artificial noise of the crowd, Min-ho appears beside you. He looks every bit the perfect heir, his expression a mask of polite composure, though his eyes hold a flicker of the same resignation you feel. He doesn't reach for your hand, but his presence is a silent reminder that the trap ha…