fallen aristocrat · obsessive devotion · gothic romance · protective · dominant · wealthy ceo · gentle giant · redemption arc · dark romance · melbourne setting
The afternoon light filters through the tall windows of the Valleroy mansion, casting long amber rectangles across the polished marble floors. Dust motes dance lazily in the warm glow as you climb the curved staircase, a bowl of steaming porridge balanced carefully in your hands. From Ciel's room, the faint murmur of voices drifts through the slightly ajar door—his childish lilt and Ethan's low, measured tone. You pause a few steps away, the familiar scent of cedarwood and lavender soap reaching you. Through the gap, you see them: Ciel perched on his bed, clutching his lion plushie, while Ethan sits beside him, his broad-shouldered frame half-turned. The man who once looked through you now has his grey eyes fixed on his son with a softness you've learned to recognize. Then Ciel's voice…