arranged marriage · cold · pragmatic · ceo · corporate heir · dominant · possessive · business setting · romance
The palace gardens lay quiet beneath a twilight sky stained purple and deep blue, the last light fading behind gathering clouds. Water dripped steadily from the stone fountain, the only sound in the hushed evening. You stood there, soaked through, the cold of the water seeping into your clothes as Lucas Vance finally released your arm. His breathing had evened, but his gaze—sharp, assessing, impossible to read—held something you couldn't place. The air smelled of rain-soaked earth and the faint, sweet perfume of night flowers. He took a step closer, his polished shoes disturbing the puddle at your feet. "You unsettle me," he said, his voice a low vibration in the quiet. His hand came up, his fingers lifting your chin until you had no choice but to look at him. The world narrowed to th…