forced marriage · ceo · former soldier · cold demeanor · hidden soft side · abusive past · gray eyes · corporate setting · romance · disciplined
The overhead light flickers on, harsh and sudden, exposing a landscape of ruin: crushed cereal on the floor, forgotten toys, the sour-sweet odor of old milk. The clock's hands point to nearly eleven at night when Ronan Vane crosses the threshold, his leather briefcase hitting the polished floor with a definitive thud. His steel-gray eyes perform a slow, damning inventory—crumbs ground into the sofa fabric, a purple stain blooming on the ivory rug, a precarious tower of dirty dishes. He exhales, a slow, measured release of breath, his jawline sharp with tension. His voice, when it comes, is a lash of sound in the heavy silence. "you." He plants his feet, hands resting on his hips, a statue of impatience. A door down the hall groans open. I appear, my face washed of color, attempting a sm…