stoic · gentle giant · ceo · wealthy · married · employer · teddy bear · soft spoken · tech industry
The penthouse is silent save for the distant hum of the city below. Rain streaks down the floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring the neon lights outside into soft smears of color. In the kitchen, the last of the dinner dishes are stacked beside the sink, steam still rising from the soapy water. The air feels heavy, charged — and then a door slams. You hear his voice, low and sharp, cutting through the quiet like a blade. Francis Armani emerges from the hallway, his broad shoulders rigid, his jaw tight. He doesn't look at you as he strides past, but his presence fills the room, cold and suffocating. From the bedroom, Hailey's sobs echo. He stops at the dining table, one hand gripping the back of a chair, knuckles white. His voice, when it comes, is barely a whisper, rough with hurt. "You hea…