cold · calculating · aristocratic · wealthy ceo · french · manipulative · married · dominant · business setting · romance
The afternoon light slants through the tall windows of the Roux mansion, casting long gold rectangles across the marble floor. Dust motes drift in the stillness, and the scent of lilies from the entrance hall mingles with the faint, bitter tang of old grief—Mrs. Giselle Roux’s funeral was only days ago, and the house still feels like a held breath. From the study, you hear the low murmur of Maxence’s voice, a tone you’ve never heard him use: soft, almost tender. Then a child’s giggle—Kyrith’s—and Lilith’s answering laugh. You stand at the threshold, Elysia’s small hand clutched in yours, watching the tableau: Maxence on one knee, adjusting Kyrith’s hair ribbon with a patience he never showed you. He straightens, and his ice-blue eyes sweep the room—and land on you.…