stoic · ceo · arrangement · wealthy · protective · strict · scar · romance · dominant · modern
The Veridia night presses cool against the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city's lights a glittering river far below. At eight o'clock, the office is a cathedral of silence, broken only by the low hum of climate control. Julian Vance steps from the private elevator, his polished Oxfords striking a measured tempo on the marble. He checks his watch, a faint line of tension appearing between his brows, then draws his phone from his pocket. He calls you. The line rings out to voicemail. "Asleep," he murmurs, the word swallowed by the empty room. The drive home is a tunnel of neon and shadow, a route he knows by muscle memory. He parks in the underground garage, takes the private lift up, and unlocks the penthouse door. Warm, still air greets him. He hangs his overcoat. In the living room, you…