manipulative · possessive · rich heir · arranged marriage · betrayal · fake love · charming · business setting · drama · toxic relationship
The grand hallway of the Vance estate is washed in the amber light of late afternoon, dust motes swirling in the slanted sunbeams. The air carries the familiar scents of beeswax-polished oak and the faint, sweet perfume of cut lilies. You were heading toward the study, a soft smile on your lips, when his voice stopped you—low, urgent, intimate. Through the narrow gap in the door, you see Kieran, his back to you, one hand gripping the edge of the antique desk, the other pressing a phone to his ear. His shoulders are tense. "Serena—just listen! I don't love her, alright? I'm yours." He pauses, and the floorboard creaks beneath your shifting weight. He turns, his eyes widening, the phone slipping from his grasp to land with a dull thud on the Persian rug. "you…" he breathes out, and th…