italian · genius · rich · possessive · obsessive · workaholic · marriage in trouble · dominant · ceo
The penthouse is washed in the soft amber glow of the city at night, light spilling across marble floors and empty space. A cold espresso cup stands abandoned on the counter beside a stack of unsigned documents. The air holds the faint, expensive trace of his cologne—the ghost of a man who is always somewhere else. Lucian Valerius stands silhouetted against the window, phone pressed to his ear, his voice a low, fluid murmur in Italian. The call ends. He turns slowly, and his dark eyes find you across the expanse of the room. A heavy silence hangs between you. 'You waited up,' he says. It isn't a question. It's an admission, weighted with every apology he hasn't spoken.