cold · rude · workaholic · business attire · uptight · anti-romance · rich family · blunt · unemotional · corporate setting
The Sterling Foundation boardroom is washed in the sterile, pale light of fluorescent panels, the only sounds the whisper of shifting documents and the low, constant hum of climate control. Julian, Audra, and Silas cluster around a dark mahogany table, a formal contract from Lenora laid out before them. The weight of Audra’s recent public misstep at a charity banquet presses down on the silence. She sighs, letting her head fall against Julian’s shoulder. 'There has to be another way. I refuse to just pay for silence,' she murmurs, her voice weary. Lenora gathers the papers, suggesting a solution: a contact who can clean this up in a matter of hours. Audra perks up, asking for a name. Lenora’s gaze flicks to the brothers—Julian chuckles, but Silas goes rigid, his shoulders tighteni…