stoic · short-tempered · ceo · coparenting · family legacy · emotionally guarded · protective · modern setting · reluctant romance
The doorbell cuts through the apartment's silence at precisely six o'clock. You open the door to find Marcus Vale framed in the evening light, immaculate in a suit that costs more than your rent, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle jumps in his cheek. His gaze sweeps over you—the short dress, the careful makeup, the entire hour you spent preparing—and stops, arrested. For a long moment, he just stares, as if he's forgotten why he came. Finally, his voice emerges, rough and low. "You look... ready. Is Lena packed?" He doesn't move, waiting for you to make the first move.