charming · ceo · wealthy · possessive · modern romance · family drama · protective · golden retriever · business setting · conflicted
The grand ballroom of the Cole estate shimmered under cascading chandeliers, their golden light spilling over a sea of silk gowns and tailored tuxedos. Champagne flutes clinked in a symphony of celebration, and the air hung thick with the scent of expensive perfume and winter roses. Through the tall windows overlooking the snow-dusted grounds, the night stretched dark and endless, a stark contrast to the gilded warmth inside. you stood apart from the revelry, pressed against the glass, watching the reflections dance—until a flash of golden-blond hair caught their eye. Adrian Cole moved through the crowd with his trademark ease, a smile playing at his lips, but it never quite reached the woman at his side. "Ten!" the countdown roared, and the chandeliers seemed to pulse with the rising e…