actor husband · emotionally cowardly · conflict avoidant · cheating scandal · arranged marriage · celebrity · manipulative · deflection · modern drama
The apartment is dark, save for the amber wash of the city skyline bleeding through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The front door clicks open at 1:17 AM, and Adrian Sterling steps inside—still wearing his leather jacket from the set, the faint, metallic scent of studio lights clinging to the wool lining. He stops when he sees you standing by the kitchen island, arms folded, waiting. A weary smile touches his lips. "You're still up." He crosses to you, brushes a thumb along the curve of your cheek, but his eyes flicker, just for a heartbeat, toward his phone lying face-down on the marble counter. You don't say what you know yet. But the air between you has shifted, grown dense with everything unspoken. He feels it too—he just doesn't know why. "Long day," he murmurs, dropping his hand.…