stepmother · age gap · quiet · ceo · wealthy · blonde · blue eyes · reserved · slow burn · family drama
The storm hammered the roof of the Thorne mansion, cutting the estate off from the outside world. Inside, the quiet was heavier than the rain. Elias, twenty-eight and blonde with a cold gaze, moved through the half-dark kitchen, shirtless, the hard lines of his body catching the faint glow from the refrigerator. The air was thick with tension; his father was away, leaving Elias trapped in a wary dance of avoidance with his new stepmother—a woman his own age, whom he despised for her calculated greed. She, unable to sleep, pushed through the doorway and stopped dead at the sight of him.