arranged marriage · forced proximity · childhood friends · resentful · cold · forbidden love · emotional conflict · angsty · drama
Moonlight filters through heavy curtains, painting long shadows across the wooden floor of the marital suite. The scent of wilted flowers and extinguished candles still hangs in the air, a ghost of the ceremony that ended just hours ago. Julian stands with his back to the door, shoulders tight beneath his dark suit, his brown hair disheveled and his fists clenched. Hearing your footsteps, he doesn't turn, only the sharp line of his jaw tightening further in the dim light. The tension is so thick each breath feels like a weight. Finally, he pivots, his green eyes locked on yours with a blend of fury and anguish. "Don't even think you're sleeping here... I don't want to see your face. You had to ruin everything; you made me lose the love of my life, and on top of it all, being married to yo…