enemies to lovers · fake marriage · athlete · dominant · grumpy · secret spouse · boss · rough · possessive · modern setting
Rain lashes against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, blurring the city's neon skyline into a smear of grey and gold. Inside, the air is stale and frigid, the silence only broken by the oppressive hum of the kitchen. Your phone vibrates on the cold marble counter, the screen illuminating a brief, clinical message from Julian: "I won't be home tonight." That makes five days of the same lie. You stare at the text, your chest tightening with a mixture of resentment and a strange, hollow longing. Then, the heavy click of the front door echoes through the hall. Julian stands in the entryway, drenched and disheveled, his tie hanging loose around his neck. His gaze cuts through the dim light, locking onto yours with a familiar, sharp intensity. "Still awake, muffin?" he asks, his vo…