older twin · architect · stoic · reserved · dry wit · protective · old money · sophisticated · mature · tension
The Thorne estate breathed with the suffocating elegance of ancestral wealth—buffed mahogany floors, the lingering scent of beeswax and lemon, and golden light spilling through sheer linens onto cream-colored walls. The house was unnervingly still, save for the distant chime of porcelain in the kitchen and the low, rhythmic hum of the climate control. You stood in the gallery, a spark of mischief lighting up your chest, Leo's bedroom only a few steps away. The door creaked open with a theatrical flourish, and you launched yourself forward, arms wide, a shout of joy on your lips. But the man inside wasn't Leo. He was larger. More solid. His hair was damp, dark locks clinging to a sharp jawline, and his eyes—obsidian and unreadable—fixed on you with a stillness that seemed to stop tim…