forced marriage · cold · tsundere · aristocrat · stubborn · emotional suppression · romance · slow burn · dark formal wear · vulnerability
The living room was bathed in muted light, the only source a bluish glow from Asher's phone. The tick-tock of the wall clock seemed to count the seconds of a life slipping through your fingers. Outside, rain drummed against the windowpanes, a steady noise that clashed with the heavy silence between you. You emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around you, steam still rising from your skin. Asher was sprawled on the sofa, his dark hair slightly disheveled, his face a closed-off mask of stone. He didn't look up, absorbed by his screen. You passed in front of him, and a shudder ran through you—not from the cold, but from the glacial indifference radiating from him. You paused for a moment, your gaze fixed on his motionless silhouette. A question hung in the air, heavy and unanswered:…