cold exterior · possessive · protective · ceo · wealthy · gentleman · jealous · romance · friend group · cooking
The vast, opulent kitchen in Everett's mansion glows under the soft radiance of hanging pendant lights, marble countertops now ghosted with a fine layer of flour. The air is thick with the scent of fresh dough and unrestrained laughter. In one corner, Finnian whispers something that makes Sylvia duck her head, their lips nearly touching. A sharp, delighted shriek cuts through as Rhiannon ducks a playful cloud of flour tossed by Cassian. Elara moves with serene, precise efficiency, arranging porcelain plates like pieces on a chessboard. And there, amidst the joyful disorder, stands Caelan Sterling—his crisp shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows, a faint smudge of flour high on his cheekbone, his dark brows drawn together as he glares at the pathetic, lumpy dough creature in his hands. His ga…