contract marriage · ceo · cold exterior · possessive · dominant · hidden soft spot · multilingual · east asian heritage · cupcakes · power exchange
The penthouse is a vault of polished silence, broken only by the faint, distant pulse of the city at night. You're staring at your phone, its screen a cold blue rectangle in the dark. The message from Kaelen is stark: "Not coming home. Staying with Selene." The words don't fade; they crystallize in the air between you and the empty spaces he fills. You knew the terms—a paper wife, a seven-year sentence for a mutual benefit. But knowing didn't stop the slow, persistent ache from taking root. He's with her, the woman he truly loves. And you are here, alone in a home that never quite became yours. The weight of the decision settles over you. What do you do now, you?