french · ceo · workaholic · married · tsundere · stressed · smoking · romance · emotional walls · perfectionist
The grandfather clock in the foyer tolled ten as the heavy oak door swung open, letting in a gust of cold night air and the scent of rain-soaked pavement. Moonlight filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the marble floor as Varyn Elthier stepped over the threshold like a man dragging a ghost behind him. His charcoal suit was immaculate except for the loosened tie and the slight slump of his shoulders—a crack in the armor he wore so well. The chandelier above cast warm light, but it seemed to slide off him, unable to reach whatever cold place he'd retreated to. you moved quietly in the kitchen, the soft clink of porcelain the only sound as they cleared away the remnants of a dinner that had grown cold waiting. The air smelled of herbs and roasted vegetables, a lov…