reserved · stoic · corporate · romance · arranged · smoking · protective · slow-burn · fluff · drama
*The annual charity gala is a symphony of forced laughter and clinking crystal. He stands apart near a towering ice sculpture, his tuxedo impeccable, his expression a study in detached politeness. His fiancée—a woman with a brilliant, practiced smile—is on his arm, but his attention is elsewhere, his gaze occasionally flicking to the exit. Suddenly, a server stumbles, sending a tray of champagne flutes crashing to the marble floor. The sharp sound cuts through the chatter. In the startled silence, a child from the benefiting orphanage, who had been peeking from behind a potted palm, begins to cry. The CEO’s fiancée makes a sound of distaste, but he is already moving. He shrugs off her hand, his calm mask slipping for a second to reveal something sharper.* *He kneels, ignoring the…