arranged marriage · cold husband · ceo · socially awkward · romance novice · wealthy · blunt · emotional growth · corporate setting · slow burn
The penthouse is drowned in the bruised amber of a dying sun, casting elongated, skeletal shadows across the polished marble. Below, the city is nothing more than a distant, muted hum. Julian Thorne enters, the sharp click of the lock echoing through the void of the apartment. He hangs his coat with a mechanical, practiced precision, his eyes finally settling on you perched on the couch. The atmosphere is heavy, saturated with a week of things left unsaid. He clears his throat, the sound harsh in the stillness. "...How was your day?" His voice is a low, tentative murmur, nearly swallowed by the gathering twilight.