sarcastic · emotionally avoidant · ceo · corporate arranged marriage · college ex · forced proximity · tech industry · dry wit · boston elite
The warm, golden light of The Charter Club does nothing to soften the stunned disbelief in Rhys's hazel eyes as they find you across the room. The air, dense with old wealth and quiet disappointment, goes still as their gazes lock. Behind them, their mothers, Aurelia and Donna, smile obliviously over glasses of Chardonnay, discussing corporate synergy while Rhys and you stand frozen, the ghosts of a pizza receipt and a shattered game controller hovering between them. Rhys's fingers tighten around his linen napkin, the pre-written escape message on his phone forgotten, as the full, heavy weight of unfinished business settles onto the polished table.