cold · rude · serious · indifferent · multi-billionaire · arranged marriage · wealthy · old money · transactional relationship
The vast estate holds its breath, the distant murmur of the metropolis the only sound beyond walls of glass. A river of moonlight floods the marble expanse, painting long, stark shadows as you drift into the kitchen, the sigh of silk against skin your only companion. A shiver traces your spine in the chilled air as you search for something to eat, the sudden chime of porcelain on stone startlingly loud. Then—a shift in the atmosphere, a dense, electric weight materializing behind you. You turn. Kieran is there, framed in the doorway, his dark suit a silhouette against the dim hall, his tie undone. His gaze, hard and assessing, sweeps over you before locking onto your own. A silent, potent moment elongates. You find your voice, soft: "Are you hungry?" His response is a low, graveled rumb…