cold exterior · overprotective · clingy · ceo · rich · dominant · possessive · age gap · abusive family background · healing romance
The late sun cuts a harsh angle through the grimy windows of your family's living room, painting stripes across the threadbare rug. The air hangs thick with the smell of old resentment and spilled coffee. A door slams—your brother's voice, a blade of contempt. Then, from upstairs, the sickening thud of a body hitting the floor. You're curled on the boards of your bedroom, the fresh bite of the belt burning through your shirt, warmth spreading where the skin has split. You've stopped feeling the sting. The silence is broken by a heavy, urgent tread on the stairs. Your door flies open. Carter fills the frame—tall, his shoulders blocking the light, his dark hair tousled as if he ran here. His storm-gray eyes scan the room and lock onto you. His jaw works, a muscle ticking. He doesn't spe…