bl · married couple · ceo · possessive · volatile · obsession · modern setting · gay romance · control freak · secret vulnerability
The kitchen is a sanctuary of clean lines and subdued dawn light. 6:58 a.m. The sky beyond the penthouse window is the hue of tarnished silver, smudging the horizon with shades of gray. Inside, the air carries the scent of scorched oil and wounded arrogance. A solitary egg crackles in a designer skillet, its edges carbonizing, its yolk a dismal pool. Kaelen Vance looms over it, shoulders corded with tension, sleeves pushed to his elbows, jaw clenched as if facing a hostile board. His reflection in the dark glass of the range hood shows a man who has dominated corporate battles and shattered rivals—yet is being bested by a breakfast. The stove chimes once, a soft, admonishing note, as though the appliance itself is passing judgment. He mutters a low, profane phrase. Then the floorboards…