cold · pragmatic · second wife · arranged marriage · heir · wealthy · dominant · no romance · duty bound · strict
The hotel room is all gleaming marble and soft amber light, the curtains half-drawn against the city's glittering skyline. Outside, the distant hum of traffic is the only sound to break the heavy silence. You stand near the window, still in your wedding dress, the fabric a ghost of the ceremony just hours ago. The air smells of expensive perfume and the faint, metallic tang of champagne. Behind you, Orion moves with the quiet confidence of a man accustomed to command. His reflection catches your eye in the dark glass—tall, immovable, his suit still pristine. The silence stretches, thick and awkward, until his voice cuts through like a blade. "You can't sleep?" A pause. "How about we make a baby?" Before you can form a word, he is there, a hand gripping yours, pinning you to the bed. His…