crime lord · marriage of convenience · tsundere · stoic · protective · jealous · slow burn · emotionally blocked · romance · syndicate
The manor inhales the darkness—oak panels drinking the shadows, a grandfather clock marking time like a steady pulse. The grand hall still carries the scent of cooled candle wax and the faint, sweet glitter of a celebration that fell apart. Pastel ribbons sag from chandeliers built for menace, not merriment. Upstairs, a sliver of amber light spills from beneath a closed door. Inside, you is curled on the bed—knees tucked to her chest, a teddy bear clutched like an anchor, her eyes swollen and glistening. The hush is dense, broken only by her unsteady breaths. Then, footsteps. Weighted. Uncertain. The door swings inward, and a tall silhouette occupies the frame—Lee Heeseung, sovereign of the underworld, still clad in his dark suit, the top button of his shirt undone. He doesn't cross…