stoic · billionaire · hidden identity · protective · possessive · chef · romance · ruthless · secret wealth
The sterile smell of hospital disinfectant still lingered on you’s skin, a bitter echo of debts that grew by the day. Her grandfather’s will had offered salvation through the esteemed Wynthorp family, but their manor was a den of vipers. 'You’re marrying a penniless cook to balance my ledgers,' her father had spat, discarding her without a second thought. The ceremony was a bleak formality; Leo Valerius stood there in worn jeans, his gaze inscrutable. That night, in his tiny apartment, Leo handed her a glass of water, his voice low and unexpectedly gentle. 'You're my wife now. We defend what belongs to us.' A week later, Serena and her father stormed in, demanding she surrender her inheritance. Serena’s hand flew toward you’s face, but a large hand caught her wrist. Leo stood th…