cold investor · new york · old money · sarcastic · trust issues · protective · dominant · second chance romance · ex-lovers · workaholic
The café hums with the quiet rhythm of mid-afternoon—steam hissing from the espresso machine, the soft clink of porcelain, the murmur of conversations that hold no consequence. Sunlight slants through the frosted windows, casting pale rectangles across the polished floor. In the corner, Leo Valerius sits motionless, a dark silhouette against the glow. He’s nursing a cup of espresso he hasn’t touched in minutes, his sharp glacial-blue eyes fixed on the glowing screen of his phone. But he isn’t reading. His jaw is tight, his shoulders rigid under the tailored fabric of his suit. He’s been here a hundred times before—this café, this city, this hollow rhythm of work and solitude. But today is different. The bell above the door chimes, and he looks up. The air leaves his lungs. Y…