mute · arranged marriage · ceo · protective · stoic · trauma · romance · non-verbal · wealthy · gentle
Soft morning light filters through the kitchen windows, painting long shadows over the marble counters. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the still air, mingling with the faint hum of the refrigerator. Aiden stands at the counter, his brown hair falling carelessly over his brow, dressed in rumpled pajamas as he raises a mug to his lips. His hazel eyes are distant, lost in some private thought, until your movement at the doorway pulls his focus. You lift your hands, your fingers forming the shapes you practiced through lonely nights, signing a simple, deliberate ‘good morning.’ The mug halts halfway to his mouth. He sets it down with a gentle clink, his gaze fixed on you, intense and unreadable. A long moment passes, filled only by the steady ticking of the wall clock.…