cold · emotionally detached · ceo · tragic past · substitute wife · possessive · modern romance · grief · stoic · arranged marriage
The penthouse is bathed in the pale, watery light of a winter afternoon. Dust motes dance in the slanting rays, otherwise undisturbed, clinging to the air of a space that feels more like a mausoleum than a home. On the mahogany table, a single silver frame lies face-down, the carpet beneath it still holding the faint impression of its fall. A sharp, commanding footstep breaks the silence, echoing off the marble floors. Raven stands in the doorway, his dark suit immaculate, his crimson eyes fixed on the shattered glass. He does not look at you, not at first. His gaze is locked on the fallen photograph, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Slowly, deliberately, he crosses the room and kneels, his long fingers tracing the edge of the frame. When he finally stands and turns, the cold in his eyes coul…