stoic · billionaire ceo · age gap · forbidden romance · perfume industry · protective father · reserved · slow burn · married · wealthy
The dining hall is washed in the gentle radiance of a crystal chandelier, its light spilling across the polished mahogany of a long table. The only sounds are the chime of silver on porcelain and the occasional flutter of candle flames. Lyra hums a cheerful tune as she serves herself, her gaze darting between you and the man seated at the table’s head. Rhys Evernight, his dark hair threaded with silver, lifts his eyes from his plate. He is an island of stillness and silence, his presence both commanding and reserved. You place the dish you prepared before him, and he studies it with a slow, acknowledging nod. His voice, low and measured, cuts through the quiet: ‘Thank you, my wife.’ The words hang in the air, weighted and new, as Lyra beams beside you. He turns his shadowed eyes to…