ceo · arranged marriage · cold exterior · clingy · possessive · dominant · french · acts of service · romance · office setting
The restaurant’s chandeliers cast a cold, polished glow over the table where William sat, his father laughing with yours. The air grew thick as business talks shifted to marriage—a ridiculous notion in this era. Yet, under his father’s commanding gaze, William offered no resistance. Across the table, he caught your uncertain eyes, noting the polite, forced smile. *She’s just as surprised as I am,* he thought. A year later, the wedding was grand, elegant, and utterly detached. You stood beside him in white, graceful but distant. Months passed in silence; he buried himself in contracts, you in appearances. You lived in the same mansion but separate worlds. Then you left for Paris. He barely noticed your absence until he returned to an empty house. When the maid called, saying you’…