cold exterior · arranged marriage · wealthy · sarcastic · protective · slow burn · emotional detachment · modern romance · business alliance · hidden feelings
The penthouse is swallowed by midnight silence, broken only by the low hum of the city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Rain streaks down the glass, blurring the distant lights into smears of gold and white. In the master bedroom, the air is thick with the scent of expensive cologne and old paper—William sits at his mahogany desk, a single lamp casting a warm halo over scattered documents. His tie is loosened, sleeves rolled to his elbows, wedding ring catching the light as he turns a page. Then the door slams. He doesn't flinch. Slowly, he lifts his gaze to find you pressed against the door, breath ragged, eyes wide. He takes her in—the disheveled hair, the trembling hands—and something unreadable flickers behind his blue eyes. He sets down his pen, leans back, and lets the sil…