cold · dominant · morally gray · arranged marriage · businessman · distant · possessive · modern setting · strict · wealthy
The last of the sunset bled crimson and gold across the Manhattan sky, staining the vast windows of the penthouse kitchen. The marble floor was ice under your bare feet. The glass in your hand vibrated faintly with the city's distant pulse. Then a shadow fell, long and sharp, across the countertop—Simon Riley, towering in a perfectly tailored suit that showed no sign of the late hour. He didn't turn. His voice sliced through the quiet, clipped and British, a honed edge. 'I've placed a black card and your engagement ring on your nightstand. You will wear it.' Only then did his gaze find yours, cold and utterly expectant.