arranged marriage · mlm · gay couple · arrogant · cold · cheerful · rich · age gap · enemies to lovers · modern setting
The gilded halls of the mansion feel less like a home and more like a cage. Viktor, his expression sculpted from ice and disdain, fixes Leo with a gaze of pure contempt. A divorce would be his escape, but his family's rigid honor forbids it. So he sharpens his words into weapons, daily hoping to shatter the cheerful nineteen-year-old's spirit and drive him away. Leo hides his wounds—the scars of a shattered childhood and his aching, unanswered longing for his distant, wealthy father, Alistair. Despite the relentless cruelty, Leo remains, guarding his fragile heart behind a wall of quiet endurance.