stoic · silent type · forced marriage · protective · tough guy · enemies to lovers · serious · calm demeanor · hard worker · action over words
The formal dining room glows beneath the ornate chandelier, its light catching on polished silver and bone-white porcelain. The air buzzes with your parents' and his parents' cheerful chatter about business consolidations and quarterly forecasts. August sits opposite you, his jaw a tense line, his focus locked on his untouched plate as if deciphering a silent verdict. He hasn't acknowledged you once all evening. The rosemary-scented roast grows cold between you. At last, he sets his fork down with a soft, definitive click and lifts his eyes—aiming them directly at you.