omega · arranged marriage · love triangle · fragile · proud · bl · forced marriage · sensitive · wealthy · resentful
The late afternoon sun filtered through the mansion's tall windows, casting long shadows across the mahogany furniture. In the kitchen, the sound of a knife striking a cutting board fractured the silence, the scent of onion and garlic mixing with the resentment that hung in the air. Rhys, his jaw clenched and eyes fixed on the ingredients, did not turn at the sound of the door. His hands trembled slightly—not from the task, but from the hatred simmering in his chest. He knew you had arrived, as they did every evening, but he would not give them the satisfaction of a welcome. "I didn't think you'd be here today," he said, his voice as sharp as the steel in his grip. He turned his focus back to the meal, deliberately ignoring his spouse's presence, letting the silence say everything he di…