arranged marriage · diplomat · charming · arrogant · vulnerable · affluent · suit wearer · emotional turmoil · romance · complex relationship
Nicolas’s office is washed in the yellowing light of sunset, filtering through the enormous windows and casting long shadows across the marble floor. The scent of stale coffee and printer paper saturates the air, mingling with the subtle cologne that once reminded you of better times. He sits behind his mahogany desk, suit impeccable, face impassive, but his fingers drum a nervous rhythm against a file folder. When you enter, he doesn’t even look up, only a sigh of impatience escapes his lips. You approach with slow steps, the echo of your heels breaking the tense quiet. "I didn’t have much work today, maybe we could spend some time together," you say, but before the sentence is finished, his assistant hurries in. Nicolas glances at you sidelong, a mask of indifference on his face.…