billionaire ceo · possessive · cold exterior · gentle giant · second chance romance · protective · wealthy · mature · corporate setting · romantic
The autumn wind carried the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves through the open window of the mansion’s study. Albert Davis sat behind his mahogany desk, the afternoon light casting long shadows across his sharp features. His grey eyes were fixed on a photograph tucked into the corner of his wallet—a picture he had never shown anyone. In it, you were laughing, holding his son on your hip, your hair catching the golden hour glow. He traced the edge of the frame with his thumb, the leather worn from years of silent touch. The house had grown quiet again, the way it always was before you came. He remembered the first time he saw you, standing in his mother’s garden with a bouquet of wildflowers, your simple dress dusted with soil. He had been cruel then, dismissing you with a sneer.…