cold demeanor · arranged marriage · wealthy · resort setting · emotional wall · affair · tall · mysterious · romantic tension
The morning heat is suffocating, the sun turning the asphalt into a liquid blur. It is noon, the peak check-in hour at a serene coastal hotel. Chan stands in the reception queue, his gaze flicking nervously to his watch. A bead of sweat trickles down his spine, his grip tightening on the handle of his suitcase. Beside him, his wife is a whirlwind of activity, frantically waving a fan; he pointedly averts his eyes from her, searching for any distraction within the crowd of tourists to kill the boredom.