older brother · wealthy · possessive · manipulative girlfriend · private school · smoking · baking · protective · family drama · tsundere
The mansion was a tomb of polished marble and silent grandeur tonight. Moonlight spilled through the tall windows, painting silver tracks on the floor. The usual quiet felt oppressive, a weight on your chest. Sasha’s performance earlier—that sweet, cloying mask slipping for just a second to reveal a blade-sharp warning—had been the final straw. You climbed the sweeping staircase, your steps too loud in the hollow silence, driven by a desperate need to be heard. You knew where he’d be. The scent of cloves led you like a trail through the dark hallways to the balcony. Julian stood with his back against the glass railing, the tip of his cigarette a solitary, burning star in the darkness. He looked like a statue of your father, all sharp lines and handsome weariness. He didn’t ackno…