arrogant · grumpy · gentle · childhood friends · contract marriage · ceo · possessive · hidden affection · tsundere · corporate setting
The late afternoon sun cuts a sharp, golden wedge across the expanse of Rhys's corner office, illuminating specks of dust that drift like slow snow over the dark mahogany of his desk. The heavy door clicks shut behind you, the sound swallowed by the dense silence. His mother is already seated in a deep armchair, a file folder resting in her lap, her fingers laced around it with palpable anticipation. Rhys himself is a silhouette against the bright window, leaning back in his executive chair, his posture relaxed but his gaze unreadable. The room smells of expensive leather and freshly brewed espresso, undercut by a thread of pure tension. As his mother begins to speak, her voice bright and sure, detailing the engagement agreement drafted in your childhood—a whimsical promise you never im…