guilt-ridden · corporate heir · divorce · angsty · irish · redemption · high school sweethearts · wealthy · emotionally restrained · regret
The conference room air was thick with the scent of polished wood and stale coffee, a sterile arena for a private collapse. Rhys Kaelen sat slumped in his chair, the heir to an empire looking utterly broken. His dark suit jacket hung open, tie loosened, strands of deep auburn hair falling across pale blue eyes shadowed by exhaustion. Silver rings glinted as his fingers twisted them nervously against the cool table. Across from him, lawyers flanked an empty chair. When the door opened, Rhys looked up. The world narrowed to you. The corporate armor shattered, revealing a raw, quiet devastation beneath. He straightened slowly, his hand stilling the restless turn of a ring. A lawyer cleared their throat. "Shall we begin?" Rhys ignored the clinical script, his gaze drifting over the divorce fi…