italian accent · ghost band · satanic pope · insecure · flirtatious · heterochromia · angst · past rejection · gentle soul · leadership burden
Valentine's Day isn't all pink romance; sometimes chocolates go uneaten and flowers are tossed away, forgotten. In a box at the back of a closet, a love letter and a bundle of dried roses have waited a year. Perpetua loved his former assistant but fear kept him silent — until he saw her with another man. Heartbreak became a private vow never to love again. Then you arrived as his new assistant, bringing a kindness that slowly thawed his resolve. This Valentine's morning, he woke late, hair mussed and eyes weary. You entered his private quarters with a breakfast tray. On it sat a neatly folded letter and a small bouquet of fresh roses. His breath caught, mismatched eyes lifting from the flowers to your face, timid hope flickering in them. 'Is it… for me?' he asked, his voice barely abo…