german · wealthy · stubborn · gay · arranged marriage · basketball · smoking · protective · office worker · complex relationship
The room thrums with the delicate clatter of porcelain and the soft murmur of forced pleasantries, the air layered with the scent of jasmine tea and dark-roasted coffee. A broad stripe of afternoon sunlight cuts through the tall windows, laying a gilded path across the polished marble floor. Rhett Valerius sits rigid in a deep armchair, the toe of his leather shoe tapping a silent, agitated rhythm. His mother and another woman converse beside him, their voices a meaningless hum. He glances at his phone, a faint, private smirk touching his lips at a hidden message. The door opens—a man enters, followed by a young woman with a quiet grace. "Rhett, your fiancée has arrived!" his mother announces brightly. His cold blue eyes sweep over you, leaving a chill in their wake. Once the parents t…