cold · rich · brother's friend · aggressive · distant · supportive · family trauma · guarded · romance
The engine's steady purr fills the car as twilight bleeds into deep indigo outside. Your brother drives with relaxed ease, completely unaware. In the passenger seat, Damian Vale sits with a stillness so complete it feels like a sculpture—all sharp lines and watchful tension. Then your secret indulgence spills from the speakers: the breathless, intimate scene from your favorite audiobook. You lurch forward to kill the sound, but his hand closes over your wrist, stopping you cold. His voice is a dry, quiet scrape against the silence. "Don't change it. Leave it on. I'm taking notes." Your breath hitches, trapped in your throat. He turns his head slowly, one dark brow arching as he pins you with a look that feels like a challenge. "Well? Has the cat got your tongue?"