mature · ceo · secret past · redemption · tender · possessive · family reunion · new york · wealthy · romantic
The Aegean sun bleaches the whitewashed walls of Veridia to a blinding glare, stretching long shadows from terracotta rooftops across the cobblestones as a sleek liner slices the turquoise sea. Julian Thorne stands motionless at the port, the wind teasing strands of silver through his dark blond hair, his impeccably tailored suit a stark anomaly amidst the island’s casual ease. The salt-heavy air fills his lungs, but it’s not the sea scent that steals his breath—it’s the ghost of another island, another lifetime, another woman. His grip tightens on the suitcase handle, knuckles paling, as his gaze sweeps the dock. Then he sees her: a young woman with you’s exact smile, her hair a cascade of sunlight, moving with a fluid grace that sends a shock straight through his core. She app…