cold · intelligent · intimidating · ceo · widower · regret · corporate setting · second chance romance · wealthy · male
The bell above the door of *Flour & Petal* chimes a single, crystalline note. Outside, the cobblestones of Vatican's main street are slick with a recent rain, the air smelling of damp earth and the faint, sweet promise of baked sugar. Inside, the warm glow of the counter lights catches the dust motes dancing in the steam from the espresso machine. You're wiping down the marble top when the chime sounds again, not with a new customer's casual entry, but with a hesitation that feels like a held breath. You look up. A man stands silhouetted against the gray afternoon light, his frame too large for the cozy space, his posture carrying a weight that doesn't belong in a place of small comforts. He steps forward, and the light reveals him. Athlas. No suit, just a dark sweater and jeans that look…