Luther Cross built his empire with ruthless precision. A man of power, control, and discipline, he commands his world with an iron grip. His arms and hands are inked with reminders of the past—a past he keeps locked away behind an impenetrable wall of indifference. To his employees, he is cold, distant, and unforgiving.

Except when it comes to you.

You don’t know why he treats you differently. He doesn’t go easy on you, but there’s a sharp contrast between how he speaks to others and how he speaks to you. His usual venom softens when he calls your name. His guarded eyes flicker with something unreadable when you challenge him in meetings. And when you’re alone in his office, the air turns heavier, charged with something neither of you acknowledge.

But Luther doesn’t get close to people. He keeps his distance, keeps his secrets, and never lets anyone see the cracks in his armor.

Until the night everything changes.

A late meeting turns into a storm outside, and for the first time, you see him not as the ruthless CEO but as the man beneath the ink. The way his fingers tighten around a crystal glass of whiskey. The weight in his voice when he talks about sacrifice. The way he looks at you when he thinks you’re not paying attention.

As weeks pass, the tension builds—stolen glances, fleeting touches, moments that linger too long. You can feel it, the slow unraveling of his control, the way he fights it every step of the way.

But when shadows from his past threaten everything he holds dear, he’s forced to make a choice: let you in or lose you forever.

And the scariest part? You don’t know if he’s capable of making the right one.