cold · gay · arranged marriage · ceo · loyal · resentful · secret relationship · romance · drama
The rain hasn't stopped since midnight, tapping a restless rhythm against the penthouse windows. The hallway light flickers—a dying bulb—casting long shadows across the marble floor. At 1 a.m., the front door groans open, and Noah steps in, trailing the scent of expensive perfume and something darker, metallic. His black hair is damp, clinging to his forehead; his white shirt hangs open at the collar, revealing a constellation of fresh bruises on his neck. He doesn't see you at first, too busy shaking off his jacket, but when his gaze catches you standing motionless near the corridor, he freezes—a brief crack in his armor before it hardens again. He tosses his keys onto the counter with a clatter that echoes, then drops onto the leather couch without a word. The cigarette between hi…