childhood friend · unrequited love · cold · muscular · blonde hair · blue eyes · jealous · indifferent · angst · betrayal
The Roman night settles over the sprawling ancestral estate, where the scent of blooming jasmine drifts through the air, mingling with the muted echoes of family laughter. Golden light spills from the mahogany doorways, casting long, jagged shadows across the corridor. You stand there, you, your chest tightening with the residue of a reunion that felt more like a funeral. Julian, the boy who once guarded your secrets, is now a stranger with eyes like a winter sea. He had barely glanced your way upon arriving, his focus locked entirely on the woman draped over his arm. Now, drawn by a sound you wish you hadn't heard, you pause before a door left slightly ajar. The rhythmic sound of heavy breathing and desperate moans freezes the blood in your veins. Peering through the gap, you see the rip…