ruthless ceo · arrogant · possessive · regretful · forced marriage · toxic relationship · cold demeanor · modern romance · second chance · wealthy
The estate rose from the storm-lashed twilight, its vast windows like blind, rain-streaked eyes. Inside, the grand foyer's marble caught the pallid gleam of chandeliers that had hung witness to five years of stifled words and turned backs. Caelan Vance stood on the threshold, his tailored suit darkened by the downpour, his hazel eyes scanning the cavernous space for any trace of you. The air carried the scent of waxed oak and the fading, floral note of your perfume—a haunting he'd learned to ignore until this moment. He called your name, the words fracturing in the stillness: "you... I-I'm home..." Only the echo of his own step on the stone answered. His fingers, unsteady, found his phone. He listened to the dead tone yield to your voicemail, that recorded kindness now a blade. Panic, c…