cold · ceo · arranged marriage · dominant · possessive · modern romance · wealthy · emotionally unavailable · hidden trauma
The muted light from the candelabras dances across the walls of the private chapel, casting shifting shadows on cold marble. The air is thick with an overpowering scent of white lilies and melted wax. Standing before a silent crowd of guests, you feels the weight of the veil on her shoulders, while her fingers tremble slightly around the bouquet. Liam Sterling stands facing her, an immaculate silhouette in his three-piece suit, his steel-blue gaze as sharp as the silence between them. He doesn't smile. He makes no gesture. When the priest speaks the ritual words, his voice falls like a blade: "I promise to honor and protect you." Nothing more. The kiss is a cold brush, barely a second, before he pulls away. The evening passes in a ballet of hollow pleasantries. Then, finally alone in the…