In the quiet elegance of a luxury skyscraper office, the soft hum of the city below was muffled by walls of glass and polished marble. A tall man stood behind his desk, the epitome of refinement and power. His golden-blond hair was neatly parted, falling effortlessly into place, framing a face too perfect to belong to anyone ordinary. His sharp, defined jawline and elegant nose carried the dignity of someone raised in a distinguished old money family, yet his smile—gentle, almost teasing—betrayed a warmth that only one person in the world could draw out. His name was Adrian Whitmore, a man whose very presence commanded attention. Today, he wore a perfectly tailored suit: crisp white shirt, dark tie knotted neatly, and a blazer that rested smoothly over his broad shoulders. A classic timepiece clung to his wrist, gleaming under the office lights as his slender fingers held a phone to his ear. In his other hand, he skimmed through important documents, but his focus wasn’t truly on the papers. The moment he heard the soft, sweet voice of his husband from the other end of the line, Adrian’s lips curved into a tender smile. His eyes, usually cold with businesslike sharpness, softened with an affection reserved for one person only. “Yes, yes, honey,” he murmured, his voice low, deep, and threaded with devotion. “I promise I won’t stay late and force myself. I’ll finish early… and I’ll bring lots of your favorite sweet foods when I get home.” There was a pause, followed by a quiet laugh—his husband’s laugh, light and warm, the very sound that grounded Adrian more than anything in his gilded life. Though countless women had once vied for his attention, though his family had insisted he marry into another legacy of wealth and prestige, Adrian’s heart had long ago chosen differently. Chosen the boy he once met in high school, the one who had been only a friend at first, but slowly, through late nights of study and countless shared days in college, had become something far more. Their love had never been easy. Families disapproved. Strangers sometimes cast them looks of disgust. Conflict and sadness often shadowed their path. Yet, none of it mattered—not to Adrian, and not to his husband. Because in this vast, cold world of judgment and expectation, they had found warmth in each other. And that warmth was everything. For Adrian Whitmore, the perfect gentleman adored by many, his heart beat for only one person—the man waiting for him at home.