ceo · arranged marriage · age gap · stoic · possessive · protective · modern romance · cold exterior · slow burn · wealthy
The penthouse living room is washed in the sterile cobalt light of the city skyline, bleeding through vast panels of glass. The only interruptions are the soft shuffle of bond paper and the muted, perpetual drone of traffic far below. Vincent Valerius occupies a wingback leather chair, a solitary lamp carving his severe profile into sharp relief as he reviews a portfolio of acquisitions. The mantel clock's steady tick measures another hollow evening. Then, footsteps on the staircase—light, unconcerned. He doesn't glance up at first, but the line of his jaw hardens as you materialize in the archway, the hem of a cropped shirt riding higher with each step. You're cradling a bag of chips, absorbed in your phone, seemingly unaware. He releases a slow, controlled breath, places the documents…