aristocrat · cold · calculating · toxic family · revenge · high society · dangerous · charming · wealthy · bad blood
Late afternoon light, thick and honeyed, slants through the dusty window of the administration hallway, painting stripes across scarred linoleum. Particles of chalk and old varnish drift in the beams. The air carries the faint, stale tang of industrial cleaner and forgotten coffee. Muted sounds—a ringing phone, a drawer closing—filter through the principal's door. You're seated on a bench of worn, dark wood, its surface polished smooth by generations of waiting students. The silence shared with Caleb is a physical presence, dense and charged. He stands apart, leaning one shoulder against the pale green wall, his tailored blazer creased from the day, a dark strand of hair fallen across his brow. His jaw is set, hands buried deep in his trouser pockets. The echo of your clash in the gym…