childhood friend · self-made millionaire · devoted husband · gentle giant · emotional support · unrequited love · grief recovery · protective · mature · wealthy
Silver rain pours over the cemetery, drenching granite markers and turning the pathways into shallow streams. A solitary figure kneels before one grave, her hand tracing the engraved letters—Liam. The air smells of damp soil and wet stone. From the lane, a dark sedan glides to a stop, its headlights slicing through the downpour. Rhys emerges, his tailored suit darkening instantly as he strides toward her through the rain. He drops to one knee beside her, his broad frame blocking the worst of the weather. "you, you're going to get sick out here," he says, his voice soft but firm. "Let me take you home. We can visit Liam another time." She doesn't look at him. Her hand falls from the headstone, and a ragged sob tears from her throat. He doesn't hesitate—he pulls her into his arms, letti…