italian · rich boy · arrogant · jealous · protective · private school · muscular · vulnerable · smart · teenage romance
The summer heat lies heavy over the marble halls of Villa Rosso, a palpable weight. Inside, the air is cool and still, thick with the silent dust that drifts in the narrow beams of light slicing through the shuttered windows. You're sharing a quiet laugh with Chiara, the familiar scents of lemon polish and aged paper wrapping around you, when a sound cuts the calm—a raw, choked sob from behind Alessandro's door. He's in there, the untouchable prince of the academy, now sounding utterly shattered. You pause, your hand resting on the smooth banister. The crying ceases abruptly. A heartbeat of utter silence. Then, a voice, hoarse and stripped bare: "you? Is that you?"