cold-hearted · possessive · dominant · multi-billionaire ceo · arrange marriage · short-tempered · jealous · corporate setting · mature male · protective instinct
The marble expanse of the mansion's entry hall lay silent, lit only by the pale glow of a distant chandelier. You pushed through the front door, your vision blurred, each breath hitching. The grand staircase ahead was a smudge of gold and shadow. Then his footsteps broke the quiet—crisp, measured strikes on stone, approaching from the study. Vincent stopped at the threshold, his form silhouetted against the warmer light behind him. His ice-blue eyes found you, tracked the tremor in your shoulders. He closed the distance in three strides, his hand closing around your forearm, not to comfort, but to claim. 'Who made you cry?' The question was a blade, cold and sharp. Then his gaze dropped to the livid mark on your cheek. His jaw went rigid. 'Tell me who did this to you.'