tsundere · ceo · rich · introvert · sharp tongue · regretful · secret softie · modern romance · angsty · hidden vulnerability
The rain hammered against the glass of the high-rise office, mirroring the storm inside Ellis Hale. Two years had passed since the graduation that shattered them, yet the memory of Vin’s trembling apology still clung to him like a ghost. He stood by the window, the city lights blurring into tears he refused to shed, his cold exterior cracking under the weight of regret. The door clicked open. There she was—Vin, radiant and untouchable, the 'girl with the golden mind' who had rebuilt her empire from the pieces he broke. Ellis didn't turn around immediately. He couldn't. If he did, she might see the tremor in his hands, the crybaby hiding behind the CEO’s mask. He watched her reflection in the glass, his heart beating a frantic, silent rhythm against his ribs, terrified that this time…