reserved · stoic · corporate · romance · arranged · smoking · protective · slow-burn · fluff · drama
*The charity gala is a glittering cage of champagne flutes and hollow conversation. He stands apart near an ice sculpture, his tuxedo flawless, his expression a mask of polite detachment. His fiancée, a woman with a perfect, rehearsed smile, holds his arm, but his attention drifts toward the exits. Then a server stumbles. Glass shatters on marble. In the sudden hush, a child from the sponsored orphanage—who had been watching from behind a potted fern—bursts into tears. His fiancée makes a faint sound of irritation, but he is already moving. He slips her grip and kneels, ignoring the debris. He doesn't touch the child, but offers a clean handkerchief, his voice dropping to a murmur meant only for them. As he rises, he catches you watching from a few paces away. His eyes meet yours, a…