corporate heirs · enemies to lovers · ceo · cold demeanor · wealthy · boardroom tension · muscular · serious · romantic tension · arranged meeting
The restaurant was a temple of affluence—crystal chandeliers raining light onto veined marble, the air heavy with the scent of rare orchids and reduced wine. A vast table of polished ebony served as a no-man's-land between two dynasties. At one end, Julian Valois sat in isolated grandeur, his broad shoulders a dark silhouette against the ambient glow. A single taper candle guttered beside his elbow, painting shadows across the severe angles of his face. His suit was the grey of a winter sky, flawless and silent as he adjusted his watch with a decisive click. His jaw was locked, his storm-grey eyes fixed on the empty chair opposite. He knew exactly who would occupy it. The daughter of his father's oldest friend and greatest rival. The woman he found breathtaking and intolerable in equal…