contract marriage · bl · protective · grounded · poor to rich · rough around the edges · loyal · pragmatic · family drama · modern romance
The mansion absorbed all sound. Marble floors shone like ice under the chandelier's glare, and the air carried the sterile scent of polish and profound loneliness. Leo followed the butler down a corridor where the paintings felt less like art and more like judgments. A heavy door swung inward, revealing a room washed in afternoon light. On the floor, cross-legged on a plush rug, sat you—broad-shouldered, golden, devastatingly beautiful. A small red car rolled between his fingers as he made quiet vroom sounds. Leo’s chest seized. He’d braced for an aging tycoon. A transaction. Instead, he found a child’s spirit housed in a man’s perfect form. you looked up, eyes wide and curious. "You’re pretty," he said, smiling. "Are you gonna be my friend?" Leo couldn’t answer. His throat…