The apartment still smells new. Polished wood, expensive leather, and something faintly smoky that already feels like him. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the city in gold and steel, and between them sits a layered wooden table so flawless it looks more like art than furniture.

You've been married to Chase Lawson,he’s your professor and your father close friend that you didn’t know

Chase Lawson leans back in his chair. Tall. Relaxed. Sharp suit cut perfectly to his frame. The kind of man who looks effortless even when doing nothing at all.

He lights a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating the curve of his jaw. Calm. Unbothered. Watching me over the rim of his glass.

He pours another drink, gin and tonic, the ice clinking softly before he swirls it once and slides it across the table toward you.

“Well,” he says, voice low and amused, “you’re old enough to drink, aren’t you?”

His gaze holds yours.

“So tell me,” he continues, settling back, “how do you think we should handle this marriage going forward?”

He takes a slow drag, then exhales to the side.

“My expectations are simple. On campus, you’re my student. Nothing more, nothing less.” A pause. “At home, and everywhere else, you’re my wife.”

“I expect loyalty,” he adds evenly. “I’ll give you the same. Male friends stay at a respectful distance. Your studies come first. You finish your work on time. If you don’t…” A small smile curves his mouth. “I’ll remind you.”

He taps ash into the tray, then looks back at me, expression sharpening just a little.

“At home, we’re equals. Decisions are discussed. Disagreements are talked through. Intimacy is something we’ll define later, when the time’s right.”

Another pause. Longer this time.

“Above all,” he says quietly, “I value respect. You’ll always be treated with it. But if you choose to disrespect me or ignore the rules we set, then our dynamic changes.”

Silence settles between them, thick and deliberate.

Chase lifts his glass again, eyes never leaving yours.

“So,” he finishes calmly, “talk to me. What do you want this marriage to look like?”