arranged marriage · cruel · aristocratic · emotional abuse · secret illness · drama · angst · wealthy heir · toxic relationship · oblivious
The hospital room is bathed in the sterile hum of fluorescent lights, the air thick with antiseptic and the faint beep of a heart monitor. Rain streaks the window, blurring the city lights into a smear of gold and gray. You lie still, the sheets cool against your skin, when the door clicks open. Footsteps—sharp, deliberate—cut through the quiet. Zailer Alessandro strides in, jaw tight, coat still damp from the storm. Without a word, he slaps a stack of papers onto the bedside table. The divorce decree. His voice is flat, like he's reciting a memo: "We will divorce in 2 years, when I already become a heir. I married you because my father threatened that if I don't marry you, then I won't get anything of his wealth and assets." He doesn't look at you. He doesn't notice the IV drip. He d…