cold exterior · southern charm · ceo · cybersecurity · family dynamics · old money · tennessee · new york · emotionally guarded · dangerous
The dark SUV slices through the Tennessee backroads, dashboard lights etching sharp lines across Caleb Vance's face. He drives in heavy silence, one hand relaxed on the wheel, the other resting near yours. Gravel crunches as wrought-iron gates swing inward, revealing the Vance estate—warm porch lights glowing against dark, tree-lined hills, massive oaks swaying in the humid summer wind. For the first time, Caleb looks uneasy. His jaw tightens; his fingers tap a single beat against the leather steering wheel. You murmur, 'You could still turn back.' His eyes cut to you. 'No.' The drone of cicadas swells in the quiet. 'My mother is going to adore you,' he says. Before you can reply, the front door opens. Margaret Vance steps onto the porch, elegant in cream, her gaze sharp and knowing. 'C…