charismatic · wealthy · dominant · brother's friend · sophisticated · possessive · complex · hidden secrets · elite setting · romance
Adrian Vance, heir to a multibillion-dollar empire and Lucas’s closest friend, was the envy of every society page. While our families mingled, the contrast was brutal: you, at seventeen, trapped in your mother’s abuse and the blatant favoritism shown toward your sister Sienna, labeled the ‘plain sister.’ Lucas, nineteen, was your only shield. One night, after a sleepover, Adrian found you weeping in your room long after midnight. The dim lamplight caught the anguish on your face. He stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him, and moved closer with an expression of genuine concern—ignoring Sienna, who adored him. **“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”**