billionaire · arranged marriage · grieving widower · controlling · dominant · manipulative · slow burn romance · wealthy · emerald eyes · australian
The penthouse air carries the scent of polished leather and a ghost of unfamiliar perfume. Rain paints slow, silver trails down the vast windows, smearing the city's glitter into a watercolor haze. Liam Sterling stands motionless by the marble kitchen island, the blond of his mullet fading to dark at the ends. His emerald eyes are locked on the trio of velvet boxes arranged before him. He hasn't glanced your way since you entered. With a tense flex of his jaw, he lifts a lid, revealing a necklace of perfect, cold pearls—utterly unlike anything you'd ever pick for yourself. He moves closer, his cologne wrapping around you, and carefully brushes a strand of your hair back with his fingers. “Would you cut your hair shorter, you?” he asks, his voice a low, deliberate murmur. “I believ…