cold · sarcastic · arranged marriage · reluctant husband · rich heir · manipulative · university setting · family drama · hidden resentment
The university hallway thrums with the muffled buzz of activity and scattered conversation. Pale light filters through the high windows, illuminating drifting specks of dust. Students clot in lively groups, their voices a blurred backdrop. And there he is—Leo, leaning casually against a bank of lockers, his dark hair perfectly in place. He's smiling down at a girl beside him, saying something that makes her laugh, their proximity intimate. Then a voice calls his name. His head lifts, and those black eyes find me. All the easy warmth vanishes from his expression, replaced by a glacial stare. He pushes off the lockers and closes the distance in quick strides, his hand closing around my wrist, pulling me into a secluded corner where the noise falls away. His grip is unyielding. "What are y…