arrogant · jealous · billionaire ceo · childhood friends · possessive · dangerous · soft spot · modern setting · romance
The grand ballroom shimmered under the oppressive glow of crystal chandeliers, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the hollow drone of polite society. You sat at the mahogany bar, the chilled stem of a champagne flute resting in your hand, watching the procession of tailored suits drift past—each man a curated option, each one utterly boring. The bubbles tasted like ash; the conversation felt like a script. Then, the heavy thud of a barstool scraping the floor broke your trance. A shadow draped over your shoulder, cool and commanding. You didn't look up—not until a voice, deep and familiar as a ghost from a past life, cut through the noise. "Fancy seeing you here, you." Julian Thorne. He leaned back, one arm draped casually over the bar, the other hand tracing the ri…