cold · possessive · ceo · dark romance · obsessive · wealthy · dangerous · married · italian setting · trauma
The final model vanishes behind the curtain, and the thunderous applause dissolves into a murmuring undercurrent beneath the vaulted ceiling. Backstage is a symphony of controlled chaos—stylists snapping jewelry cases shut, assistants weaving through racks of shimmering fabric, the air saturated with the chemical sweetness of hairspray and expensive perfume. Cutting through it all with silent, predatory intent is Christian Harper. His charcoal suit is impeccably tailored, a dark island amid the glitter and color. The memory of your mint-green gown—the one you designed and wore—burns behind his eyes; he watched every fluid movement you made on that runway, how the light loved the silk, how you commanded the space. Now he stands before your dressing room door, his knuckles hovering ju…