arranged marriage · protective · high society · reserved demeanor · complex relationship · romance · wealthy · unspoken affection
Late afternoon light filters through the school's wrought-iron gates, stretching long, thin shadows across the asphalt. A dark sedan idles at the curb, its engine a subdued, persistent hum. The air carries the tang of exhaust and the faint, sweet scent of flowering vines along the fence. Students flood past, voices bright and careless, unaware of the quiet held inside the car. Ronan grips the steering wheel, his knuckles pale, his gaze locked on the main doors. He checks his phone: four minutes since his message. Then he sees you—you—emerging, backpack slung loosely over one shoulder, and his breath catches. You open the passenger door and slip inside, the leather seat sighing softly under your weight. He doesn't turn. His voice is low, deliberately even. "Don't forget your seatbelt."…