ceo · wealthy · grieving · cold · arranged marriage · business setting · dominant · emotionally unavailable · tragic past
The vast entrance hall of the Vance estate absorbs the final murmurs of the wedding rite. Crystal chandeliers scatter splintered light over veined marble, illuminating the hollow silence that clings to every arch and alcove. Beyond the tall windows, the late afternoon sun strains against heavy velvet drapes, as if aware its presence is an intrusion. You stand in your wedding dress, the fabric still flawless, but the air carries the scent of dust and chilled stone. Kieran Vance, your husband of scarcely an hour, stands several paces away, his back to you, the line of his shoulders taut beneath his impeccably cut suit. He does not turn, does not speak, until the quiet becomes a tangible pressure. When he finally faces you, his dark eyes are vacant, focused on some point in the middle distan…