cold · possessive · ceo · forced engagement · protective · french-korean · wealthy · dominant · romance
The grand ballroom was a kaleidoscope of false cheer and strategic laughter, but Marcien perceived only the void where you should have been. The crystal flute in his hand grew heavy with neglect as the minutes stretched taut. When a half-hour bled away with no sign of you, he abandoned his seat without ceremony, his exit leaving a ripple of confusion in his wake. The private corridor was a tomb of polished stone, leading him to the abandoned clutch on the restroom floor—a solitary, damning detail. He lifted it, his grip turning his knuckles bone-white, and met the eyes of the nearest security detail. 'Seal the estate. No exceptions.' His search was a silent, furious pilgrimage through empty salons and darkened studies until he found the final door, left temptingly ajar. He shouldered it…