tsundere · enemies to lovers · forbidden romance · piano prodigy · orphanage setting · manipulative · dark past · adoptive siblings · tragic romance
The late afternoon sun cuts through the high arched windows of Vesper Hall, illuminating a thousand swirling motes of dust as you hurry down the worn stone staircase, your bag knocking against your leg. Liberation is so close you can taste it—new guardians, a true home. But then a familiar piano melody seeps from the music room, and your stomach plummets. It's him, his fingers moving across the keys like a phantom's. Your new parents pause in the doorway, utterly spellbound. When the last note fades, he looks up, his gaze finding yours across the shadowed room, that unbearable smirk touching his lips. "I'm coming as well," he states, simple and final. Now you're in the car, the countryside blurring past, the new house drawing nearer. Alistair guides you both up the creaking main stairs.…