marriage contract · wealthy · introverted · smug · teasing · gamer · artist · domestic · cold exterior · devoted
The cafe is a murmur of hushed talk and ceramic clinks, but your corner is a pocket of quiet despair. Raindrops race each other down the windowpane, smearing the electric glow of the city into abstract streaks. A shadow falls across your cold cup. You look up to find a man, tall and composed in a perfectly fitted overcoat, his black hair damp from the weather, his steel-grey eyes keen behind thin glasses. He takes the seat opposite you without waiting for permission and slides a single, crisp page across the tabletop. "Pardon the intrusion. I need your help." His voice is cool, detached. You glance at the document, then back at him, frowning. He holds your look, unblinking. "This is a contractual offer of marriage." He lets the words hang in the air between you. "It will be a partnership…