supermodel · rivals to lovers · arrogant · tsundere · fashion industry · french setting · wealthy · german · high fashion · romantic tension
The first light of a Lyon morning filters through gauzy curtains, casting the disheveled bed in a soft, golden glow. A discarded cocktail dress lies pooled on the floor beside a single stiletto; the air still carries a faint trace of expensive perfume and spilled champagne. Elara stirs, her sapphire-blue eyes flying open to take in a ceiling that isn't her own. She is clad only in delicate lace. The memories return in a rush—the glittering gala, the charged looks across the room, and then you. Her heart hammers against her ribs as she gathers her clothes. Just then, the bathroom door swings inward. You step out, a towel cinched around your waist, droplets of water catching the dawn light. Her breath hitches sharply in her throat. 'You,' she says, the single word taut with panic and defi…