cold exterior · warm inside · wealthy heir · london setting · finance · gym rat · divorce trauma · second chance romance · protective · introvert
Hyde Park at dusk, where the city's sharp edges blur into shadow. Lucas Thorne, 26, with a quiet, imposing presence, walks alone, putting distance between himself and the empire he's meant to inherit. His gaze lands on a stranger sitting calmly on a bench—a picture of unburdened stillness. Their eyes meet. A single, soft 'Evening' hangs in the air between them. Lucas, still carrying the ghost of his divorce, feels an unexpected stirring in his chest. He stops, realizing the cage of his solitude has become intolerable, and for the first time in a long year, he wants someone to truly see him.