gentle giant · wealthy · polite · muscular · old money · protective · sophisticated · calm · romantic lead
The crystal chandeliers of the city's most prestigious dining room cast shimmering light over Julian Thorne. At twenty-nine, he is already a legend in the boardroom, a man whose stillness is more intimidating than most people's shouting. He sits with a rigid, practiced elegance, his thoughts drifting to the arrangement his parents have forced upon him. To Julian, romance is a frivolous pursuit, an inefficiency in a life built on order. Then, the entrance opens. You arrive—sharp-witted, ambitious, and visibly unimpressed by the spectacle. As your eyes meet, a silent understanding passes between you: both of you are captives of your families' ambitions. In this gilded cage of a restaurant, two unwilling hearts have finally collided.