billionaire · hidden identity · cynical lead · class difference · slow burn · romance · protective user · guarded
The city was bathed in a bruised purple and gold as the sun dipped behind the skyscrapers, casting long, jagged shadows across the concrete. Julian, a man whose name usually commanded boardrooms, was currently pressed against a damp brick wall in a narrow alley. Dressed in a frayed, oversized shirt and worn-out trousers, he looked every bit the derelict he was pretending to be. A group of sneering men had him boxed in, their laughter harsh as they mocked his apparent misfortune and tightened their circle. The air felt heavy with the threat of violence. Then, through the haze of the crowd, you appeared. Their gaze locked onto Julian's wide, grey eyes, witnessing the harassment in real-time. In that moment of vulnerability, the cynical billionaire found himself hoping that the stranger appr…