The wedding banquet had ended hours ago, yet the taste of champagne and the echo of polite laughter still lingered in Emily's mouth like a bitter aftertaste. The chauffeur had dropped her off at the Lu family's estate—a sprawling mansion that looked more like a fortress than a home.
She had imagined this night countless times since the engagement was announced. She had prepared herself for every possible awkwardness: the coldness of a man she barely knew, the formality of a household that valued reputation above intimacy, the loneliness of stepping into an unfamiliar world. But standing now in the marble hall, where crystal chandeliers glimmered with sterile brilliance, she realized that her imagination had been far too gentle. Reality was much harsher.
Leonard Lu, her new husband, did not even glance at her as he shrugged off his tailored suit jacket and handed it wordlessly to a waiting servant. His expression was as blank as it had been all evening, carved from ice, unyielding and remote.
Emily tightened her grip on the hem of her gown. The dress was exquisite, hand-sewn lace imported from Italy, yet its weight felt suffocating on her shoulders. "Should I… follow you?" she asked cautiously, her voice almost swallowed by the cavernous silence of the hall.
Leonard paused, his profile caught in the chandelier's glow. He was devastatingly handsome, the kind of man who could silence a room simply by entering it. But his beauty was distant, untouchable, like a painting hung too high on a wall.
"You're free to do as you like," he replied at last, his tone flat, void of emotion. Without waiting for her response, he ascended the grand staircase, his footsteps echoing with a rhythm that felt like rejection itself.
Emily stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs, her cheeks burning with humiliation. She was his bride, and yet she had never felt more unwanted in her life.
The bedroom assigned to her was vast, with velvet curtains and an enormous bed that could have accommodated a small family. Yet despite its grandeur, the space felt cold. No warmth lingered in the air, no trace of a man's presence.
She sat on the edge of the bed, fingers twisting nervously in her lap. From childhood, she had been taught that marriage was a woman's greatest turning point. For better or worse, her fate was now tied to Leonard's. But what did it mean if the groom refused to even look at her?
Downstairs, the servants whispered. She could hear fragments carried up through the floorboards:"Poor girl, she must have known what she was getting into…""Mr. Lu has never brought a woman home before. They say he despises this marriage…""Still, she's lucky. To marry into the Lu family is a dream for most."
Lucky. Emily almost laughed aloud. Was this luck? To sit alone on her wedding night, dressed in white like an ornament discarded after the ceremony?
The door opened without warning. Leonard entered, already changed into a crisp white shirt and black trousers. His hair was slightly damp from a shower, and the faint scent of cedar clung to him.
Emily's heart lurched despite herself. She rose instinctively, unsure of whether to greet him or stay silent.
"You don't need to wait for me," he said coolly, walking past her toward the desk by the window. He opened a folder, pulling out documents as though he were in an office rather than a honeymoon suite.
Her hands trembled. "Leonard… are we not even going to talk?"
He finally looked at her, his dark eyes sharp and unreadable. "About what?"
"About us," she whispered. "We're married now. Shouldn't we at least try to—"
"This marriage is an arrangement," he cut her off, his voice low but firm. "You know that as well as I do. Don't expect anything more."
The words sliced through her like a blade. Emily had known, of course. She had heard the negotiations, the discussions between her father and the Lu family about business alliances and reputations. She had been the bargaining chip, the daughter offered up in exchange for stability and opportunity. Still, a small, foolish part of her had hoped for something beyond duty—perhaps not love, but at least respect, companionship, a chance to grow into something more.
But Leonard's expression left no room for such dreams.
Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Emily forced herself to steady her breathing. "I understand," she said softly, though her voice cracked. "But no matter the reason, we are husband and wife now. The world will see us that way. I only hope…" She paused, summoning courage she didn't know she had. "I only hope we can treat each other with some measure of kindness."
Leonard's eyes flickered, just for a moment, as though her words had struck something buried deep within. But just as quickly, the glimmer was gone. "Kindness is a luxury," he said coldly. "One you shouldn't expect here."
With that, he returned to his documents, shutting her out completely.
Hours passed. Emily changed out of her wedding gown and into a simple nightdress, her hands fumbling with the buttons as tears blurred her vision. She lay down on the edge of the massive bed, the distance between her and Leonard—who had eventually taken the sofa—feeling wider than any ocean.
Staring into the darkness, Emily realized that her life from this night forward would not be one of fairy tales or romantic dreams. It would be a test—a test of endurance, of will, of whether she could carve out a place for herself in a world that had no room for her heart.
She pressed her palms together beneath her pillow, whispering a silent promise to herself: If he won't give me warmth, I'll learn to build my own. If he won't let me into his world, I'll create one that forces him to see me.
And so, in the silence of that cold mansion, Emily's determination was born.