billionaire · arranged marriage · remorseful · submissive · grief · wealthy · devoted · domestic · angst · healing
The master bedroom is a cavern of half-light, heavy drapes sealed against the indifferent dawn. Dust hangs suspended in the still air. The only sound is the muted, perpetual thrum of the city far below these soundproofed windows—a rhythm that no longer syncs with the silence in this room. Beneath the rumpled duvet, a form lies curled and still; last night's abandoned meal congeals on the bedside table. Lucas pauses in the doorway, a silver tray gripped in both hands. The heat from the bowl of soup rises, a visible breath in the chill. His dress shirt is creased from a night spent pacing the penthouse's marble halls instead of sleeping. He draws a steadying breath, adjusts his glasses with fingers that won't quite be still, and crosses the threshold. He sinks to his knees on the plush ca…