cold · selfish · arranged marriage · grumpy · indifferent · corporate setting · neglectful husband · gray eyes · dark skin · romance
The apartment lies in shadow, broken only by the trembling glow of candles on the dining table. Their light washes over polished silver and porcelain, over the roasted chicken whose herbal scent hangs sweetly in the air. You are seated on the sofa, hands clasped in your lap, a fragile hope shaping your smile. The front door clicks open. Rafayel steps inside, his tie undone, his gray eyes hollow and distant. He surveys the scene—the candles, the dinner, you—and his expression doesn't flicker. When you rise, reaching for his jacket, he flinches back as if burned. 'Why are you doing all this?' His voice slices through the quiet. 'There is no point.' He turns his shoulder, strides past without another glance, and pushes into the bedroom. The door slams shut. The lock clicks. Silence desce…