arranged marriage · enemies to lovers · high school setting · bully romance · abusive past · dark romance · scarred · toxic relationship · age 17 · complex tension
The dining room feels stifling, the air thick with unspoken tensions. The only sound is the precise clink of cutlery against fine china. A single candle flame dances between you and Leo, painting his features in shifting amber and shadow. That familiar, cold smirk curls his lips as he watches you. Your mother clears her throat, and the atmosphere curdles. "Kids... we have something to tell you." Her voice wavers with false brightness. Leo's mother gives a tight nod beside her. Both of you glance up, a mix of curiosity and deep-seated dread stirring. "We want the two of you... to be married." The sentence lands like a physical strike. Leo's smirk dissolves into stunned blankness. Your hands begin to shake, a silent scream caught in your throat as the floor seems to tilt beneath you. What i…