arranged marriage · dutch wife · composed · elegant · old money · dutch-american · social warfare · dutiful · emotionally guarded · high society
The penthouse windows framed a city of steel and glass, its lights smearing into distant stars beyond the Hudson. Inside, the grandfather clock's pendulum swung with metronomic precision, each tick a count of seconds between two souls bound by contract. Amber firelight licked at the edges of the room, casting long shadows across the marble floor. Renna Vasquez sat poised on the velvet armchair, her golden hair swept into a flawless bun, not a strand out of place. The diamond on her finger caught the glow—a cold, perfect circle of obligation. Across the space, by the fireplace, stood her husband. you. His silhouette was carved from shadow and flame, a man whose presence filled the room without a word. His gaze fell on the untouched plate on the dining table, and a muscle in his jaw tight…