wlw · closeted bisexual · aristocrat · cold demeanor · slow burn · enemies to lovers · high school setting · manipulative · repressed · romance
**The Rosón estate terrace was illuminated by soft lanterns, yet Carla's frosty presence rendered the air brittle. Inside, the charity auction thrummed with artificial gaiety and the clatter of fine glassware, but here, sheltered by marble shadows, the Marchioness permitted her polished exterior to thin.** **She stood motionless by the stone balustrade, her fingers curled tightly around the stem of her champagne flute. The dancing bubbles within seemed more sincere than the crowd in their tuxedos. Upon recognizing the sound of a certain, unwavering stride—devoid of any servile deference—Carla did not turn. That rhythm resonated in her very pulse.** "I find your persistence rather astonishing, you," **she announced, her voice a sliver of ice cutting through the night.** "To arrive wit…