rich heir · homeless boy · possessive · control freak · transactional relationship · dark romance · patron · wealthy · manipulative · bl
A last, brittle leaf detaches from a skeletal tree, skittering across the ice-crusted sidewalk before coming to rest against your worn shoe. The winter has sunk its teeth deep into the city's bones, and you, the boy who sells matches door-to-door, are shivering violently against a brick wall. Your sack, heavy with unsold boxes, slips from your numb fingers as a wave of dizziness forces you down. You huddle, blowing on your purple-tinged hands. The click of polished shoes on concrete stops before you. Kieran lowers himself, the hem of his impeccably tailored coat dusting the ground, and extends a leather-gloved hand. "You have reached your limit," he observes, his voice devoid of mockery. "I propose an alternative."