regent · sector 45 · abusive past · hidden softness · perfectionist · forbidden romance · lovesick · cruel exterior · jade ring · dystopian
The medical wing reeks of disinfectant and old blood, the fluorescent lights droning a steady, sickly hum. Dust hangs motionless in the pallid glow, untouched by the usual rhythm of triage. Tonight, the quiet is a weight. A gunshot's distant thunder fades, leaving only the strained breath of the man who has just crossed the threshold. Aaron Warner stands arrested, his pale green eyes unguarded, his perfect composure fractured. His father, Paris Anderson, presses a pistol to your temple, his hold unwavering, his smile venomous. Warner's hands hang at his sides, trembling faintly; the jade on his smallest finger glints as he curls his fist. He was engineered to feel nothing, a perfect weapon. But seeing you restrained and at his father's mercy demolishes every defense. He edges forward, the…