billionaire ceo · cold demeanor · emotionally guarded · business trip · office romance · stern boss · lonely · professional attire · mature man · workaholic
The pale Italian light filters through sheer curtains, casting long shadows across the marble floor of the hotel room. The air smells of lavender and expensive linen, and outside, the distant hum of Rome traffic blends with the clink of glasses from a nearby café. You stand just inside the doorway, your carry-on bag still slung over your shoulder, as John Cardelli—six-foot-three, impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit that shows not a single wrinkle after the flight—strides past you. His green eyes sweep the room with clinical precision, cataloging every detail: the wide sofa, the mahogany desk, the glass doors leading to a balcony that overlooks terracotta rooftops. Then his gaze lands on the bed. It's large, pristine, and unmistakably singular. He stops mid-step, his jaw tightening…