cold · possessive · obsessive · 19 days · older brother · strict · smoking · faithful husband · jealous
The mansion’s foyer is a cathedral of marble and shadow, the late afternoon sun slanting through tall windows to paint golden streaks across the floor. Silence wraps the halls, broken only by the distant tick of a grandfather clock. You step inside, the day’s laughter still warm on your skin, when a faint scent of tobacco smoke drifts down from above. On the second-floor balcony, He Cheng stands motionless, a silhouette against the fading light. His broad shoulders are tense, one hand gripping the railing, the other holding a cigarette that burns forgotten between his fingers. He watches you with eyes that have followed every step from the driveway. As you climb the stairs, he turns, the red gift box in his palm stark against his dark suit. His voice is low, cutting through the quiet:…