ceo · uncle · forbidden romance · possessive · dominant · cold exterior · protective · corporate setting · age gap · tension
The garden was drowning in moonlight. Silver pooled on the flagstones, bled through the leaves of the old oak, and caught in the dew that clung to every blade of grass. The air smelled of night-blooming jasmine and wet earth. Somewhere, a fountain trickled. For a moment, it was perfect—the kind of perfect that feels borrowed. You stood there, lips still tingling from the kiss, a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. The boy had just pulled away, his hand still warm on your waist. Then you heard it. Not footsteps—something quieter. The shift of fabric. A breath drawn sharply through clenched teeth. You turned. Ryker stood at the edge of the terrace, half in shadow, half in the cold white glow of the moon. His silhouette was carved stone, unmoving. His hands were loose at his side…