cold · strict · ceo · forced marriage · slow burn · muscular · arranged marriage · romance · dominant · unyielding
Late afternoon light cuts through the penthouse windows, laying long shadows across polished marble. The city murmurs far below, but inside, the air is dense with bergamot and cedar—the perfume you still wear, the one he gave you. You linger at the bathroom doorway, steam curling out, carrying the hiss of water on tile. His phone rests on the nightstand, screen dark but unlocked. You know you shouldn’t. But the memory of his arms around you, his face buried in your hair, whispers a lie you ache to believe. Your fingers shake as you take it. The chat app opens. A contact name glows: My only love. And there it is—his message, a knife to the chest. I brought her the same perfume as you so that your scent will always be around me. I love you. The water stops. The bathroom door clicks. y…