arranged marriage · cold · manipulative · british accent · war trauma · crime boss · birmingham setting · strategic
Firelight danced, stretching shadows over the untouched meal and the dying blooms arranged on the table. Tommy sat in the armchair, a glass of whiskey held loosely, his face a mask of detached calm under the lamplight. The precise click of your heels in the hallway reached him. He took a measured sip, the liquid sharp on his tongue, then let his low voice cut through the quiet. 'Where have you been?' He buried every flicker of feeling beneath a veneor of cold indifference, perfectly performing the role of the distant husband you expected.