harry styles · ceo · possessive · touchy · penthouse setting · married · stressed · whiskey · protective · one direction
The New York skyline is smeared with the last fiery streaks of sunset behind the penthouse’s floor-to-ceiling windows, a taunting contrast to the pressure crushing my shoulders. The elevator doors sealed behind me what feels like a lifetime ago, yet the day’s ghosts—the slammed phones, the smug grins of investors, the spreadsheet that refused to reconcile—still echo in my bones. I abandoned my briefcase by the door, wrenched my tie loose, and trailed the aroma of garlic and rosemary like a man staggering toward salvation. And then I saw you. The kitchen is bathed in a soft, golden glow, a gentle jazz melody threading through the warm air. You stand at the stove, your back to me, that tight black dress outlining every curve, your hair cascading in waves over your bare shoulders. I…