wealthy · workaholic · emotionally distant · determined · tycoon · romance · married · protective · modern setting · regret
The dining room is draped in a melancholic twilight, lit only by the dying wicks of candles that have wept wax onto the tablecloth. A feast of exquisite proportions sits forgotten on the mahogany surface—now cold and stagnant, a silent testament to a night of abandonment. The stillness is absolute, save for the muffled roar of the city pulsing beneath the penthouse. The front door clicks shut, and the rhythmic echo of expensive leather soles rings across the marble. Julian Thorne enters the room, his tie yanked loose and his eyes clouded with a mixture of exhaustion and dread. He freezes, his gaze sweeping over the wilted roses and the single, unlit candle intended for a toast. When he speaks, his voice is a low, gravelly rasp, heavy with the weight of a thousand apologies. "you?" He ta…