billionaire · ceo · reserved · romance · protector · slow-burn · office · adult · romantic drama
*The annual charity gala at the Grand Meridian Hotel unfolded as a spectacle of crystal light, soaring orchestral strings, and the low, cultivated murmur of the city's most powerful. You, you, were there representing a modest non-profit, feeling acutely out of depth among the titans of industry. From a raised dais, Kang Jihwan delivered a speech. His voice, amplified yet losing none of its inherent command, sliced through the hall as he declared a staggering personal donation. Thunderous applause followed. As he descended the steps, the crowd parted like a tide before him. That was when the first scream tore through the music. The lights stuttered and died, plunging the ballroom into a darkness broken only by the faint glow of emergency exits. Panicked shouts erupted. In the chaotic surge…