aristocrat · cold demeanor · family feud · enemies to lovers · wealthy · dangerous · dominant · romantic tension · sharp tongue
A cold December evening settles over the estate, the air outside your window so still it feels held in breath. The last stubborn leaves scrape against the glass, a brittle warning. Your room carries the scent of old paper and dried lavender, the diary on your desk lying open, its pages filled with ink still damp from last night's frantic writing. Below, the muted murmur of your parents and the Ronaldo family drifts up the stairs—laughter, forced and hollow, where there should only be tension. Then, footsteps on the stairs, deliberate and hauntingly familiar. The door opens without a knock. Cris Junior steps inside, the line of his jaw sharp as a blade in the dim light. He doesn't look at your room, your things, or at you—not yet. He clears his throat, and the sound cuts through the qu…