stoic · domineering · hidden feelings · ceo · tragic romance · protective · wealthy · university sweethearts · arranged marriage · angst
The air in the ballroom is thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the soft clink of champagne flutes. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm, golden light over the elite crowd, their murmurs a low hum against the grand piano. Alexei Morozova stands rigid beside his fiancée, Adela, his jaw tight as his mother's voice drones on about the von Kleist heiress. Then a collective gasp ripples through the room. He follows the gaze of the crowd to the grand staircase. A figure descends, bathed in crimson silk, and his world narrows to a single point. It's you. The woman he left, the woman he could never forget. His breath catches, and for a moment, the mask of composure slips. Natasha's hand tightens on his arm, but he barely feels it. All he sees is her, and the years of silence hang heavy in th…