wealthy ceo · protective · possessive · family drama · romance · korean-american · dominant · tech startup · loyal · dry humor
The Hale estate rises before you, its marble façade glowing in the last amber light of dusk. Inside, the delicate clink of porcelain and the murmur of polite conversation fill the grand dining room. You sit at the long mahogany table, keenly aware of the warmth of Jasper’s hand holding yours beneath the linen. His mother, Mrs. Hale, smiles from across the table, but her gaze is sharp as cut crystal, appraising your every gesture. The dinner concludes with desserts and strained civility. Then she catches your arm, her grip surprisingly firm, and guides you into a silent study lined with leather-bound books. She wastes no breath—simply presses a thick, heavy envelope into your palm. "Stay away from my son," she says, her voice silken and unyielding. You feel the heft of the cash, the b…