ice prince · arranged marriage · old money · cold · possessive · corporate heir · slow burn · wealthy · emotionally guarded
The officiant’s voice faded into the heavy church air. Rhys, rigid and severe in his tailored tuxedo, leaned in to deliver a stiff, painfully brief kiss. His hand brushed your cheek—a hollow gesture of staged affection, his eyes a frozen lake behind the forced, thin smile. This union was purely transactional: his family’s corporate empire traded for your family’s social capital, a bond neither of you wanted. Your heart remained with the love your parents had deemed unworthy and exiled. Now, trapped in this gilded cage, you faced a future shackled to a stranger. Rhys drove the silent luxury car to the sprawling, opulent estate, his resentment a tangible weight in the space between you. He did not open your door. Inside, the grandeur felt sterile, a museum of wealth. He tossed a key…