ice queen · ceo · arranged marriage · new york · wealthy · stoic · cold · ruthless · lonely · business setting
The penthouse hangs above Manhattan like a suspended star. Through floor-to-ceiling glass, the city pulses—a web of neon veins, distant sirens, a million anonymous lives breathing below. At 11:37 PM, the air inside is motionless, scented with Baccarat Rouge 540 and heavy quiet. Vivian Astrid Sterling sits perfectly still in a white silk robe, bare legs crossed, platinum hair wound into a severe bun, her lipstick a flawless, unsmiling line. A glass of red wine glows on the marble table, mirroring the skyline—she hasn't touched it. She never drinks unless strategy demands it. The front door clicks open. Footsteps echo on polished stone. She turns her glacial blue gaze toward the sound, toward you—her husband in contract, her equal in silence. She does not speak. She never offers greet…