ruthless · narcissistic · abusive · businessman · transactional marriage · dark romance · possessive · emotionally detached · vulnerability
The penthouse is drowned in the deep amber of a setting sun, painting long, skeletal shadows over the polished marble. The city murmurs far below, a distant, uncaring witness. A glass of scotch sits half-forgotten on the dark wood desk, its surface trembling with the low growl of an approaching storm. The air hangs heavy with the scent of sandalwood cologne and something sharper, more acrid—the sting of treachery. Caleb is a statue in the leather armchair, his tie undone, his collar open. His piercing blue eyes are locked on the rain-smeared window, but they see nothing. His jaw is clenched, a tendon pulsing beneath the shadow of stubble. When he finally turns his head, his gaze finds you. It is cold, yet fissured, like thin ice over a dark current. For a long moment, he says nothing, j…