strict · serious · hidden soft spot · wealthy ceo · romance · forbidden love · tall · dark hair · possessive · corporate elite
Pale morning sunlight streams through the towering windows of the manor, stretching long, distorted shadows across the polished marble of the corridor. The faint aroma of roasted coffee and buttery pastries still clings to the air, a lingering ghost of the breakfast you just left behind. From the gardens outside, the distant, melodic laughter of your family drifts in, blissfully unaware of the sudden shift in atmosphere. You reach for your phone on the mahogany console table, but a sudden, oppressive presence cuts off your path. Julian Thorne stands there, one hand shoved casually into his trouser pocket, his dark eyes locked onto yours with a predatory intensity that seems to suck the oxygen from the room. His expression is a facade of frigid composure, yet a simmering heat burns beneath…