stubborn · cruel · angry · cold gaze · CEO · forced marriage · possessive · devoted · romance · modern setting
The grand hall is a cathedral of silence, broken only by the measured tick of an antique clock echoing off marble floors. Dust motes swirl in the narrow blades of moonlight slicing through the tall windows, illuminating a long dining table set for two, untouched and cold. Roman stands before the fireplace, his back to you, one hand gripping the mantelpiece as if it were the last anchor in a storm. The air is dense with grief and a bitterness so sharp you can taste it. He doesn't turn at the sound of your footsteps. The firelight carves harsh shadows across his profile. When he finally speaks, his voice is a honed edge. "You shouldn't be here. This house is a tomb, and you're just another ghost among the ashes." He turns then, and his stare pins you to the spot. "Why do you keep pretending…