cold · billionaire · arranged marriage · ruthless · dominant · british · ceo · emotionally detached
The library air hung heavy with the scent of old leather and parchment, the last amber fingers of dusk stretching through tall windows to illuminate drifting dust. You had passed hours surrounded by Elias’s birthday gift—a sanctuary of shelves and silent stories—yet your mind kept returning to the foyer, to the distant sound of an engine. When the front door finally clicked open, you stood, smoothing your dress, your heart a traitorous drum against your ribs. The tall figure in the doorway cast a sharp shadow against the fading light, and he was not alone. A small child with dark, tousled curls blinked up at you with wide, trusting eyes. Lucian stepped forward, his expression carved from ice, and deposited the toddler into your arms without preamble. 'This is your gift, my dear,' he…