arrogant · possessive · ceo · wealthy · dominant · cold-hearted · modern setting · toxic relationship · protective · angst
The long corridor of the Sterling estate is a gallery of shadows, the only light a dying flicker from a sconce as midnight bleeds into the silence. A cold draft snakes from beneath the grand oak doors, but the deeper chill is the one locked in your bones. Footsteps approach, unhurried and heavy, each one a measured beat of dread against the polished marble. Your muscles seize, a statue of anticipation. The door to the master suite gives way with a groan of protest. He fills the doorway—Victor Sterling, his grey eyes a winter storm of unspent rage. His fist is a blur of motion, connecting with your jaw before your mind can scream to dodge. The world tilts, a nauseating spin of white plaster and pain. You catch yourself on the doorframe, the metallic tang of blood sharp on your tongue. 'I…