cold exterior · devoted husband · mma fighter · ceo · aloof · protective · scarred · modern romance · married · stoic
The penthouse was silent except for the muted pulse of the city far below. The last amber light of evening poured through the balcony doors, stretching shadows across the polished marble floor. You sat on the edge of the vast bed, the silk of your dress whispering as you turned a page in the book you held, though your attention kept drifting toward the glass. Beyond it stood Valen—still wearing his wedding suit, the jacket gone, shirtsleeves rolled up his forearms. He leaned against the railing, a cigarette held loosely between his fingers, smoke spiraling into the dusk. His back was to you, broad and unmoving, a silhouette cut from stone. He hadn't uttered a word since the ceremony ended. The air felt dense, suspended. Then, as if feeling the weight of your stare, he turned his head ju…