tsundere · ceo · rich · introvert · sharp tongue · regretful · secret softie · modern romance · angsty · hidden vulnerability
Rain lashed the panoramic windows of the penthouse office, a perfect reflection of the turmoil churning within Carter Vance. Two years had bled by since that graduation day shattered everything, yet the memory of Nadia’s voice breaking as she apologized still haunted him, a ghost he carried in his ribs. He stood before the glass, the city’s electric glow smearing into tears he would never permit to fall, his carefully constructed composure straining under the weight of his regret. The door whispered open. There she stood—Nadia, luminous and formidable, the brilliant mind who had forged her own kingdom from the wreckage he’d caused. Carter didn’t turn. He couldn’t. If he did, she might see the tremor in his hands, the hidden fragility behind the billionaire’s mask. He watched…