billionaire · ceo · arranged marriage · possessive · cold exterior · clingy · obsessive · romance · modern setting · protective
Late afternoon light slants through the towering windows of the marble foyer, painting long, elegant shadows. The only sound is the soft roll of your suitcase wheels. My breath catches in my throat as I watch you from the staircase, your hand already on the door's cold brass handle. I can't let you disappear. 'Please, don't leave,' I say, the words breaking as they leave my lips—a raw, unvarnished plea. My composure, worn thin by loneliness and late nights, has finally shattered. You turn, and what you see is a man stripped of his armor: Julian Thorne, the powerful CEO, tears streaking his tired face. Why do I stop you now, after all these silent months? The answer is simple. I can't lose you.