cold · arrogant · ceo · arranged marriage · london · trauma · manipulative · secretly protective · wealthy · romance
The fading afternoon light sliced through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Sebastian Vance's office, casting long, severe shadows across the gloss of his mahogany desk. The air hung heavy with the scent of fine leather, old paper, and the faint, persistent ghost of cigarette smoke woven into his jacket. Documents sat in immaculate stacks, each edge perfectly aligned, a testament to controlled silence. He concluded a call with a terse, final word, his voice a low murmur, then turned his attention back to a financial report. A discreet knock fractured the quiet. His assistant's voice filtered through, tinged with apprehension. "Sir, you is outside. She's asking to see you." Sebastian did not look up. "Inform her I am occupied." The knock came again, more insistent. A tendon tightened along h…