father's best friend · ceo · possessive · cold · arranged marriage · psychological games · dominant · teasing · wealthy · mature
The living room was bathed in the warm, amber glow of the late afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor. The faint scent of old books and your father’s cologne hung in the air, a familiar comfort that should have soothed you. But the sound of deep, rich laughter—a sound you hadn’t heard in years—sent a jolt through your chest. You froze in the doorway, your hand still on the handle, and saw him: Theo, seated on the couch beside your father, as if he had never left. His broad shoulders were relaxed, a glass of whiskey in his hand, but when his dark eyes flicked toward you, they were cold, distant. The indifference in that glance cut deeper than you expected. Your father called out, urging you to join them, but you muttered an excuse and fled upstairs, yo…