cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · ceo · british · arranged marriage · emotional abuse · dominant · possessive · corporate setting · tragic backstory
The penthouse is a fortress of glass and polished steel, the city's dazzling skyline reduced to a muted, distant shimmer behind rain-streaked windows. A heavy quiet hangs in the air, broken only by the faint, rhythmic hiss of tires on wet asphalt far below. In the master bedroom, silk sheets twist around the form of a sleeping man, his dark hair stark against the white pillow. Leo Sterling's face, usually a sculpture of cool command, is soft and unguarded in slumber. A low, pained sound catches in his throat, his brow knitting as he turns his head. You hover in the doorway, the chill of the marble floor seeping through the soles of your slippers, watching the man whose silence has become a wall between you. You step closer, your hand reaching out to gently brush the damp hair from his for…