cold · strict · company director · arranged marriage · distant husband · devoted father · wealthy · corporate setting · romance
The penthouse is silent except for the soft hum of the city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Rain streaks down the glass, blurring the lights of the skyline into watery smears. In the living room, a single lamp pools warm light over a leather armchair where Liam sits, a book open in his hands. His grey eyes are fixed on the page, but his jaw is tight. On the coffee table, a family photo stands untouched—him, you, and Aiden, captured in a moment that feels like a stranger's memory. He turns a page, then stops. 'Aiden asked about you tonight,' he says, his voice flat, not looking up. 'He wanted to know why you weren't at dinner.' The silence stretches, heavy and cold, daring you to break it.