wealthy businessman · cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · friends to strangers · arrogant · manipulative · childhood bond · romantic tension · urban setting · emotional complexity
The cafe door chimed, letting in a draft of cold street air and a man with a woman clinging to his arm. He didn’t look up, his attention on his phone as he murmured an order for a latte. Then his eyes lifted—and locked with yours. It was Kaelen, the friend who disappeared from your life without a trace. His expression hardened, a wall of ice slamming down over any surprise. ‘We’d like a coffee latte,’ he stated, his voice flat and detached, performing for the woman beside him who believes she knows him.