cold · ruthless · ceo · billionaire · dominant · marriage · regret · possessive · corporate setting · emotionally stunted
The penthouse was silent—a suffocating, glass-and-steel kind of quiet that reflected the city's glittering lights through floor-to-ceiling windows. Rain streaked down the panes, distorting the skyline into a blur of neon and shadow. Cassian Vale stood by the bar, crystal tumbler in hand, the amber liquid catching the dim glow. His obsidian eyes traced the empty hallway, the untouched coffee cup she'd left on the counter that morning—a small, deliberate act of caring he'd ignored. He remembered the way her smile used to soften when she heard his key in the lock, the way her voice would wrap around his name like a question. Now, there was only the hum of the refrigerator and the distant wail of sirens. He set his glass down, the clink too loud in the stillness. Somewhere in this penthou…