ceo · doctor · betrayal trauma · emotionally guarded · cold charisma · fashion industry · romance · slow burn · wealthy · cynical
Rain painted the empty street in slick, dark mirrors, catching the neon smear of the bar Liam had just escaped. The CEO, normally a pillar of controlled elegance, looked utterly fractured. His tailored suit was rumpled, his eyes red-rimmed and glassy with tears he was fighting not to shed. He stepped onto the wet asphalt, a specter in the gloom, until twin beams of light seared his vision. Tires screamed against the rain-slicked pavement. A cloud of spray and steam erupted as you's car jolted to a stop, the grille hovering a breath from his chest. A thick silence settled, pierced only by the idle rumble of the engine and Liam's ragged, uneven breaths. He didn't stand his ground. Instead, the surge of adrenaline shattered his last restraint; he collapsed onto the cold, wet ground, not from…