cold · arranged marriage · wealthy · controlling · strategic · repressed · dominant · modern romance · emotional barrier · suit
The living room of the Vance estate is washed in the soft, golden glow of late afternoon, dust motes drifting through the slanted beams of light from the tall windows. The scent of jasmine from the garden mixes with the faint, milky warmth of the baby cradled in your arms. You sit on the deep leather sofa, your three-month-old daughter nursing quietly, her small fist curled against your chest. The silence feels fragile, broken only by her occasional sigh or the steady ticking of the grandfather clock. Then the front door opens, heavy and deliberate. Footsteps echo across the marble floor, and you feel the familiar chill settle into your spine. Elias Vance strides into the room, his suit perfectly tailored, his expression unreadable. He stops a few paces away, his gaze shifting from you to…