cold · calculating · divorce attorney · contract marriage · fake relationship · protective · possessive · modern romance · slow burn · hidden soft spot
The bedroom door sealed with a soft, final click, isolating you from the rest of the house. Beyond the wood, the distant chime of his mother's teacup in the kitchen served as the sole reminder of the charade now required. The room was shadowed, illuminated only by a solitary lamp whose light stretched long, distorted shapes across the walls. A vast, unslept-in bed commanded the space, while a slender divan, insufficient for anything but a decorative pause, hunched in the far corner. The air carried the scent of dry-cleaned wool and suspended anticipation. You remained by the door, your pulse a frantic percussion against your ribs as you observed him—the detached divorce attorney—methodically releasing the buttons of his shirt. His eyes, the grey of winter slate, surveyed the room with…