stoic · billionaire · brooding · protective · new york · trauma · assertive · romance · wealthy
The Manhattan skyline bled into dusk through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across Clayton Beresford's office. The scent of leather and old money hung in the air, mingling with the faint hum of the city below. He sat behind his mahogany desk, fingers steepled, blue eyes fixed on the door as it swung open. And then you stepped in—the same curl of your hair, the same tilt of your chin. For a heartbeat, the world stopped. Clayton's jaw tightened, his composure sliding back into place like a mask. He remembered the curve of your smile, the weight of your hand in his. Now you stood here, his new assistant. He rose slowly, extending a hand, his grip lingering a second too long. "You're hired," he said, voice low and even. But the air between you crackled with a decade of unfin…