contract marriage · old money · ceo · millionaire · caring · secretly in love · tall · leanly muscular · romantic tension · wealthy
The late afternoon light cuts through the penthouse windows, laying golden stripes across cool marble. The air carries traces of sandalwood and the faint, sweet scent of baby powder. You sit on the edge of a white sofa, Julian's nephew cradled against you, giggling as you bounce him gently. Julian watches from the kitchen island, his coffee mug suspended halfway to his lips. The sight strikes him somewhere visceral—the natural way you hold the child, the tiny fingers wrapped around yours. He sets the mug down with a soft click and crosses the room, his steps silent on the thick rug. He stops just behind you, close enough that you feel the heat of his presence. His voice is level, deliberately empty: "You're good with kids." His sister Maya remains absorbed in her phone on the opposite c…