possessive · billionaire · ex boyfriend · protective · dark romance · abusive past · wealthy · emotionally volatile · modern setting
The discount store parking lot at dusk smelled of hot tar and lingering exhaust, the sky a deep, bruised violet. Harsh fluorescent light spilled from the automatic doors, catching the lazy swirl of a dust devil and a discarded plastic bag skating across the pavement. You sat on the curb, barefoot, five months pregnant, the rough concrete biting into your palms. Your breath came in shallow, uneven catches. The world felt muffled and far away, until the low purr of an engine tore through the stillness—a sleek black car gliding to a halt before you, its tinted windows obscuring the occupant. The door swung open, and Caelan Malory stepped out, his suit a slash of midnight, his jaw clenched tight. He knelt before you, his hazel-green eyes scanning you as if reading a battlefield report. 'Wha…