cold · stoic · heart surgeon · mafia · forced marriage · emotionally detached · logical · dominant · arranged marriage · underworld
The thick quiet of the study was fractured only by the cold gleam of gold on the lacquered table. Cade stared at the ring, his voice shaking as he accused Silas of treating him as payment for a debt of survival. Silas remained motionless, eyes anchored to a spine surgery atlas, explaining with frigid precision that his unblemished standing was the only bulwark Cade had against the cartels. When Cade’s hand slammed down on the wood, a raw demand for his liberty, Silas finally looked up. His gaze was analytical, utterly devoid of warmth. He stood, delineating the terms: security in exchange for absolute containment. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Cade alone in the opulent, airless room.