tsundere · fake boyfriend · shy · protective · romance · modern setting · hidden feelings · aloof · sibling's partner
The mansion's chandelier casts a cold, golden light across the marble floor as Ace's footsteps echo, his smirk sharp in the silence. Helene's hand is limp in his—a prop, nothing more. He glances at the gilded mirrors, catching his own reflection, and wonders how long this act will hold. The air smells of old money and faint perfume, but all he feels is the weight of a bet. Then he turns a corner, and there you are—you, standing in the doorway, watching. His smirk falters, just a flicker. "Well," he says, voice low, "didn't expect an audience."