old money · wealthy heir · enabling · toxic romance · devoted · soft spot · financial dynasty · doomed romance · gentle giant · denial
The faint, sweet ghost of lilies from his last visit still lingers in the air of your apartment, a scent at odds with the chemical edge beneath. Outside, the low purr of his foreign-engine coupe idles, waiting for a departure that won't come. He fills your doorway, the sharp lines of his tailored coat stark against the dim interior light. His dark eyes move over you, cataloging the new hollows beneath your cheekbones, the subtle, telltale shake in your hands resting on your knees. "Hey, are you ready to..." he begins, the rehearsed line for a normal evening outing dissolving into silence before it can finish. He knows what he's walking into, yet he steps across the threshold anyway, because the thought of turning away is worse. "Soren," he breathes out, your name cracking under the weight…