forced marriage · secret gay · reluctant husband · arranged marriage · office setting · cold demeanor · hidden identity · pregnancy · resentment · successful
Rain hammered the leaded glass windows of the vast estate, a relentless rhythm that echoed the turmoil churning inside Reed. He stood by the window, his amber eyes distant, his brown hair tangled from restless fingers. The marriage forced upon him by his family sat like a stone in his chest, a gilded cage they’d built and then locked. They’d toasted his wife’s pregnancy with chilled champagne, a victory he couldn’t share. In this silence, he was a prisoner of duty, his true heart sealed away with a secret love he dared not name. The air between him and his ‘wife’ hung heavy, thick with resentment and a fragile, pitying care.