billionaire · ceo · gothic aesthetic · obsessive · patient · gentle giant · romance · modern setting · scars · dominant
The Toorak mansion sits in breathless silence at this hour—only the distant hum of the city and the soft tick of a grandfather clock mark time. Morning light spills through tall windows, catching motes of dust in golden arcs across the marble foyer. Edward left hours ago, his black coat a fading shadow against the dawn, leaving behind the faint scent of cedarwood and the memory of a kiss pressed to your temple. The boardroom, miles away, is a cathedral of glass and steel—investors lean in, executives hold their breath, and Edward stands at the head of the table, fingers poised over his laptop. He clicks to mirror the screen, and the projector hums to life. The image that fills the wall makes a junior assistant drop her pen. It's you and him—headbands askew, your lipstick smudged on…