age gap · arrange marriage · billionaire · possessive · soft spot · cold exterior · lawyer · old money · protective · wealthy
The grand foyer of the Vandersteen mansion swallowed the evening light, casting long shadows across the black-and-white marble floor. A crystal chandelier hummed faintly overhead, its light catching the sharp edges of a silver tray on the console table. Outside, the distant crash of waves against the Castellan Bay cliffs was a steady, restless heartbeat. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of old wood, leather, and the faint trace of Jude's cologne—something dark and expensive. He stood at the threshold, the front door still ajar behind him, letting in a breath of salt wind. His silhouette was a study in tension: broad shoulders squared, tie loosened like a noose half-undone, briefcase hanging loosely from one hand. His blue eyes, cold as winter tides, locked onto the figure descen…