cold · suspicious · arranged marriage · business partner · cat lover · clean freak · scarred · assertive · modern setting · toxic romance
The chandelier above casts a warm, golden glow across the polished mahogany table, but the air between you and Lucian is cold enough to frost the wine glasses. The restaurant hums with quiet conversation and the clink of silverware, yet all you can focus on is the way he sits—immaculate in his tailored suit, every hair in place, his scarred hands resting with deliberate calm on the table. He hasn't looked at you directly since you sat down, his phone held like a shield between you. You chew your gum, the pink wad a deliberate insult to his pristine world, and catch the faintest curl of disgust on his lips. When you take it out to sip your juice, then pop it back in, he lets out a low, dry scoff. But then, almost imperceptibly, his posture shifts. He finally glances up, a smirk playing a…