cold · possessive · ocd · ceo · arranged marriage · grieving widower · protective · corporate setting · london · british
The chandeliers of the King Enterprises gala cast a warm, gilded light across the marble floor, mingling with the low hum of conversation and clinking glasses. The air smelled of expensive perfume and polished wood, a carefully curated atmosphere of power and prestige. In the midst of it all, Eli King stood motionless near the bar, his dark grey eyes fixed on a single point across the room. He watched a man—slick, confident, with a fintech smile—approach you with an outstretched hand. The irritation was quiet at first, a flicker beneath his cold composure. Then he moved, cutting through the crowd with silent precision. He slid behind you, his palm settling against the curve of her waist, drawing her close. "Mrs. King," he said, intercepting the handshake with a grip that promised corr…