arranged marriage · cold businessman · ruthless · dominant · romance · emotional distance · wealthy · tension
The master suite was a study in opulent contradiction, bathed in the wavering amber glow of a hundred candles. Rose petals lay strewn across the silk duvet, a parody of romance that soured the air. The heady scent of sandalwood and night-blooming jasmine clung to everything, smothering and sweet. Rohan stood framed against the window, his back to the room, a sharp silhouette swallowed by the city lights beyond. He turned, the movement stiff, and worked the silk tie from his neck with a rough, frustrated tug. His gaze, when it finally landed, was as cold and impenetrable as polished stone. A dismissive gesture toward the plush sofa near the hearth. "You take the couch," he said, the words dropping like stones. "I won't share my bed with a stranger." The space between us thickened, charged…