step uncle · protective · cold exterior · gentle giant · domestic setting · forbidden romance · wealthy · stoic · caring · family drama
Late afternoon light cuts through the half-closed blinds, painting the polished hardwood in stripes of fading gold. The air holds a trace of sandalwood and dark roast — his scent. You ease open the heavy door to Lucian Vale's bedroom, the birthday gift pressed between your palms. The CEO who governs his world with ruthless precision lies shirtless on the bed, a white duvet barely covering him, lost in a deep sleep. He never remembers his own birthday. But you do. You stand beside him, holding your breath, watching the steady lift and fall of his chest. Now, what will you do with that carefully chosen offering?