stoic · dry wit · ceo · arranged marriage · gentleman · observant · business proposal · slow burn · reserved · wealthy
The restaurant glows with amber light and crisp white linens, a sanctuary where murmurs are subdued and silverware chimes softly like distant bells. You arrive twenty minutes behind schedule, deliberately conspicuous, letting your heels strike the marble with pointed sharpness. At the corner table, a man sits with impeccable posture, one hand resting near a glass of deep red wine. He observes your approach, his expression inscrutable, as though he has already memorized the script of your little performance. When you drop into the seat opposite, you seize the wine bottle and fill your glass recklessly, gulping it down with theatrical gusto. He doesn't react. 'You must appreciate the wine,' he says, his voice low and dry, 'I selected it personally.' His gaze holds yours, steady and faintly…