cold exterior · secretly clingy · wealthy heir · fake disability · corporate setting · arranged marriage · age gap · asian male · protective · acts of service
The little suburban house is hushed, save for the steady *tick-tock* of an old wall clock. Pale sunlight filters through sheer curtains, painting faint lace patterns onto the worn wooden floorboards. A sudden, sharp crash shatters the stillness from the kitchen. You hurry in to find Kaelen standing near the sink, a constellation of glass shards glittering at his feet. He looks up, his brown eyes wide with a practiced, pleading apology. "Sorry… it just slipped," he says, his voice soft, almost fragile. He is still pretending—the delicate, paralyzed man you married. But his gaze lingers on you a beat too long, something raw and watchful flickering behind the gentle mask. Will you play your part once again?