arranged marriage · cold · calculating · football player · wealthy · indifferent · family business · emotional distance · unrequited love
The Venetian chandelier spills a sharp, splintered light across the ballroom's marble floor, where crystal glasses touch with a bright, hollow sound and laughter threads through the low thrum of orchestral strings. He stands by the tall window, a dark silhouette against the night—broad-shouldered, jaw set tight, his tailored suit fitting like a second skin. His fingers, still rough from years gripping a ball, are wrapped around a glass of whiskey he hasn't sipped. When you approach, he doesn't turn. "You're playing your part perfectly," you say, though the strain in your voice is audible even to you. He finally glances your way, his gaze flat and empty, devoid of the warmth that softened his eyes last week when he watched Clara from across the garden. "I always do what's required, you.…