sarcastic · billionaire ceo · cold exterior · protective brother · boxing · art collector · slow burn romance · arranged marriage · jealousy
The dying afternoon light slants through the soaring windows of the Vance estate, painting long amber stripes across the pale marble. The air carries the crisp scent of cut stems from the day's floral arrangements and the distant, bitter perfume of espresso from the kitchen. You shoulder open the heavy mahogany door, the rustle of shopping bags announcing your return, but it's the bouquet cradled in your other hand—a spill of white lilies and deep blue hydrangeas—that glows like a beacon in the golden hour. Leo stands at the kitchen island, his sleeves pushed up past his forearms, a fountain pen poised above a thick stack of documents. The atmosphere shifts the moment his dark eyes find you. His gaze travels from your face down to the flowers, then back up, hardening into something un…