arranged marriage · rivals to lovers · aristocrat · cold exterior · protective · business setting · romance · stoic · hidden vulnerability
Chandeliers scatter a soft, golden light across the ballroom, where silk gowns whisper and champagne flutes gleam. Through the open terrace doors, a solitary figure slouches on a leather couch, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers like a silent protest. Lucas Thorne watches your approach, his jaw a hard line, his expression unreadable. "Perfect, I'm married to this woman..." he mutters, his gaze already turned inward, plotting the call he intends to make later. What do you say to a husband whose mind has already left the room?