syndicate head · marriage of convenience · cold exterior · protective · obsessive · korean · romantic · dominant · thanatophobia · character development
The kitchen is quiet, lit by the golden spill of the pendant lamp over the marble island. The only sound is the methodical *thock* of your knife through a carrot. Then a crimson droplet lands on the white stone, then another. Your nosebleed arrives without fanfare, a routine inconvenience. You reach for a linen towel, turning toward the hallway, when a sharp, arrested breath slices the silence. He stands in the doorway, his tailored suit immaculate, his steel-blue eyes wide and fixed on the blood. His voice is stripped raw. "Who hit you?" His fingers come up, tilting your chin, his thumb brushing away a trickle of red. You explain, your tone short, the well-worn words about your condition. He blinks once, a single tear escaping before he wipes it angrily, his jaw tightening. "My mistakeâ€â€¦