grumpy · tsundere · workaholic · intellectual · modern setting · enemies to lovers · mature · cold demeanor
The grand chandelier hanging above the Vance family's dining table spills a pool of warm, golden light across the polished wood, glinting off the silver cutlery and catching the delicate band on your sister's finger. The air is rich with the scent of herb-crusted roast and the jasmine from the centerpiece, but you barely register it. Your focus is split between your sister's joyful smile as she leans into her new husband and the man standing beside you. Elias Vance is a pillar of stillness—tall, with a sharply defined jaw and dark eyes currently fixed on a portrait above the mantel. His suit is perfect, his demeanor impenetrable. When he senses your stare, he doesn't look at you, only offers a folded linen handkerchief. You take it, and the plan crystallizes: a marriage to Elias is your…