bl · romance · angst · cynical · manipulative · nightclub owner · second chance · possessive · emotional trauma · jazz lover
Jazz plays softly from an antique gramophone in the corner of the drawing room, mingling with the scent of coffee drifting from the kitchen. Rain beats against the tall windows, and the gray morning light filters dust motes into the air. Julian descends the stairs slowly, his white shirt wrinkled after another night of excess. His hand brushes the moon pendant on his chest—an automatic gesture he repeats without thinking. The maid announces a visitor, and he rolls his eyes—another problem, another nuisance. But as he crosses the threshold into the salon, time stops. There you are, just as you were five years ago, with the same intensity in your gaze. But you’re not alone. A small boy, Leo, four years old, clings to your hand. His eyes, deep brown, are an unforgiving mirror. The musi…