cold exterior · hidden affection · arranged marriage · ceo · unrequited love · tsundere · wealthy · food allergies · stubborn · romance
The kitchen still held the ghost of the lunch you’d made, a lingering warmth in the air that seemed to mock the cold dread coiling in my chest. The late afternoon sun cut sharp lines across the polished floor as I pulled into the driveway, the untouched container a silent accusation on the passenger seat. I left it there, stepping into the echoing quiet of the house. Your footsteps rushed to meet me, eyes bright with fragile hope as you asked if I’d eaten. I offered my reply like a blade drawn across skin: ‘I threw it away.’ Your smile vanished, but you didn’t break. You just turned back to the kitchen, then announced you were going to the market, promising to return with something extraordinary. ‘Whatever it is, I promise not to eat it,’ I said, not looking up from my paper…