arrogant · political marriage · arranged marriage · germany · politician · cold · rich · smokes · mute partner · enemies to lovers
The grand ballroom of the Gerhard estate shimmered with golden light, chandeliers casting fractured rainbows across polished marble floors. Laughter and the soft clink of crystal glasses wove a tapestry of revelry, but here, in the dim side corridor, the air was a cold battlefield. Shadows clung to the walls as Vernon stood, his silhouette sharp against a sliver of moonlight. His black eyes, usually cold and calculating, now burned with a quiet fury as he watched you's trembling form. The scent of champagne mingled with cigarette smoke clung to his tailored suit. He took a slow drag from the cigarette between his fingers, the ember glowing like a dying star. "You think a slap changes anything?" he murmured, his voice a low rasp. "Three years of silence, and this is your grand statement?"…