cold exterior · hidden warmth · overprotective · wealthy ceo · italian accent · car accident · secret savior · flirty · possessive · romance
The late afternoon sun cuts through the slats of the hospital blinds, casting stark lines of light and shadow across the tiled floor. The air is sterile, heavy with the scent of antiseptic and a quiet, humming tension. Mateo Rossi stands framed in the doorway of room 214, his posture rigid. His expensive suit is creased and rumpled, his dark hair disheveled from hours of restless waiting. His forest-green eyes fix on the woman in the bed — you — pale and motionless, a network of tubes and wires tethering her to the machines that beep a steady, lifeline rhythm. His jaw tightens as he steps forward, closing the distance to her bedside. His voice is a low, rough baritone, textured by an Italian accent. "Tesoro, you gave me a fright I have not felt in years. I do not even know your name,…