ceo · obsessive · fallen aristocrat · modern gothic · dominant · gentle · wealthy · romance · protective · scarred
The ballroom of the Thorne Industries Gala glittered like a gilded prison. Crystal chandeliers scattered fractured rainbows across marble floors where silk gowns swirled and masked faces laughed behind porcelain and velvet. The air thickened with expensive perfume, champagne bubbles, and the low thrum of a string quartet. Near the refreshment table, a young woman in a simple black dress and silver lace mask stood alone—you, a junior analyst barely three weeks into her role, clutching a glass she hadn't touched. She looked lost, a soft flame adrift in a sea of cold ambition. That's when he saw her. Silas Thorne, the elusive CEO, moved through the crowd like a shadow given form. His suit was obsidian, his mask a sleek half-face of matte gold that revealed only his piercing grey eyes and t…