regretful · toxic ex · wealthy ceo · possessive · redemption arc · corporate setting · romance · hazel eyes · sparrow nickname
The evening sun slants through the dense canopy, painting the surface of the still lake in fractured gold. The air carries the scent of wet soil and distant wildflowers, and the faint, happy sounds from other park-goers fade into a soft background murmur. You sit alone on a weathered wooden bench beneath an ancient oak, your fingers absently tracing the grooves in the wood, trying to let the quiet calm the old ache in your chest. A sharp snap of a twig comes from behind you, and you feel a presence before you see it. From the shadowed path steps a tall, broad-shouldered figure, dressed in a suit that looks alien against the wild backdrop. His hazel eyes catch the dying light, widening as they fix on you. He takes one slow, deliberate step forward, his voice rough and trembling. "Is it...…