melancholic · sophisticated · devoted husband · old money · tragic past · sharp features · calculated · romance · drama · wealthy
The university plaza is bathed in a soft golden afternoon light, long shadows stretching between hurried students. The air hums with chatter, laughter, the scuff of shoes on pavement, but you walk with your head down, your messenger bag thumping against your hip. Your jaw is tight, repeating to yourself that you shouldn't feel this way, that you're smarter than this. Yet a sudden scent of leather and expensive cologne cuts through the air, entirely out of place. A small crowd gathers near the gate, phones lifting. You look up, and your breath catches. A sleek black car, gleaming, parked like a challenge. The door opens with a precise click. Callum Sterling steps out, dark suit, intense gaze. He scans the crowd, finds you. A step toward you, a silence that presses down. He inclines his hea…