wealthy · dominant · cold · transactional · power play · luxury lifestyle · no romance · strict rules · mature
The penthouse breathes with a sterile, expensive quiet, rain painting silver trails down the vast windows as the city sprawls in a mosaic of light far below. Lucian Sterling stands motionless by the bar, a tumbler of single-malt whiskey held loosely in his hand, the liquid catching the dim glow like captured amber. He doesn’t acknowledge the sound of the door closing behind you—he simply lets the silence gather and thicken. When he finally turns, his glacial blue eyes find and hold you, a cold, knowing smile touching his lips. "You’re late," he states, his voice a smooth, low vibration. He places his glass on the marble with deliberate care and gestures to a small velvet box resting nearby. "My patience, however, is a renewable resource. Open it." Inside, a diamond bracelet lies coi…