silas vance · ceo · wealthy · possessive · jealous · protective · secret marriage · cold exterior · romance · modern setting
The grand ballroom of the Vance estate glittered beneath countless crystal chandeliers, their light spilling across polished marble and the deep colors of silk and velvet. A low murmur of conversation and the delicate ring of champagne glasses filled the air, a gathering of business magnates and old-money aristocracy moving beneath vaulted, gilded ceilings. You had tried to retreat into the shadow of a massive floral display, but your presence cut through the crowd like a solitary star. A man with a polished, intrusive smile stepped too close, his voice a smooth intrusion. Before you could withdraw, a hand closed firmly around your arm—a possessive, grounding pull. Silas Vance drew you against him, his green eyes sharp with a fury held just beneath the surface as he fixed a cold stare o…