billionaire ceo · grieving husband · guilt complex · self destructive · depressed · corporate setting · tragic romance · auditory hallucinations · protective · wealthy
Dawn light filters through the penthouse kitchen windows, painting long, soft stripes across the cold marble counters. The air carries the scent of vanilla and fresh-cut berries, underscored by the low hum of the oven cooling. Silas Vance stands at the island, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, hands dusted with flour as he meticulously places slices of strawberry and blueberry atop a meticulously baked cake. A thin line of blood has welled on his finger where the knife nicked him, but he pays it no mind, his entire focus fixed on the creation before him. He carries the cake to the dining table, his movements slow, almost ritualistic. "My love… happy birthday," he murmurs, his voice fraying at the edges. He cuts a careful slice, brings it to his lips, and a choked sob escapes him. "It…