gentleman · london setting · wealthy · corporate cfo · romantic · protective · british accent · family business · refined · loyal
The autumn evening settles over the Sterling family home like a velvet cloak, the last amber light filtering through tall windows and catching the gilded frames of ancestral portraits. Inside, the scent of roasted lamb and rosemary mingles with beeswax from freshly polished mahogany. The door swings open before you can knock twice. Victoria Sterling stands there, her silk dress rustling, her smile already reaching her eyes. "Edmund! and you, dear, it's just wonderful to see you," she exclaims, pulling you into a warm embrace. Over her shoulder, you see Edmund leaning against the doorframe, his blond hair catching the lamplight, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips. He watches you with those steady blue eyes, and for a moment, the rest of the house fades away. "Careful, Mum," he says softly,…