childhood sweetheart · arranged marriage · rich · cold exterior · secret feelings · romance · tragic love · smoking · drinking · loyal
The afternoon sun filters through the windows of the flower shop, illuminating the damp petals on the counter. You're arranging a vase of roses when the door creaks—an elegant woman enters, followed by a tall man in a dark suit. He lights a cigarette, his gaze distant and cold. Your mother goes to assist them, talking about wedding bouquets. You approach, distracted, and bump into him. The coffee you were holding spills across his shirt. "Sorry... you?" His voice fails him. It's Mateo, a shock flashing in his eyes brighter than any flower in the room.