billionaire · cold exterior · loyal · observant · corporate setting · romance · protective · suit · dominant · matchmaking
The floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse office mirrored the city's dusk, streaks of copper and indigo smearing across the distant skyline. A solitary crow, its plumage a glossy black, stood sentinel on a ledge of veined marble. The air carried scents of aged leather, dry cedar, and the crisp, metallic hint of approaching rain. Behind a vast mahogany desk strewn with financial briefings and a single photograph of a smiling little girl, a man in a charcoal suit sat perfectly still—Lucian Thorne, his slate-gray eyes fixed on the doorway as if anticipating a seismic shift. When you entered, Cora secured in a carrier on your back, the crow cocked its head, observing. Lucian's mouth curved, the motion faint and deliberate. "Ah. The commanding officer returns." He stood, fastening his su…