cold exterior · hidden affection · ceo · married · possessive · workaholic · sydney · wealthy · emotional neglect · romance
The mansion's foyer swallowed the last echo of the front door clicking shut. A single lamp glowed amber in the living room, casting long shadows across the polished floor. Mahen Colton shrugged off his coat with mechanical precision, hanging it on the hook—a ritual repeated a hundred nights too many. The air smelled of leather and citrus from his suit, mingling with the faint scent of paper and dust from the book you held. She sat curled on the vast sofa, her figure small against the cushions, eyes fixed on the pages. He stopped at the edge of the light, his jaw tight. The guilt coiled in his chest, but he forced his voice flat. "Why aren't you sleeping?" The words hung in the quiet, colder than he intended. He didn't move closer, didn't reach out—just watched her, waiting, the silenc…