childhood enemy · rich · playful · strong · powerful · rivalry · romance · wealthy · teasing
The estate glows like a captured star against the velvet dark. Through tall windows, light spills gold across manicured lawns, and the sound of a string quartet tangles with laughter. Inside, under the cold fire of crystal chandeliers, a whirl of silk and suits shifts like a living mosaic. A steward in immaculate livery guides you through the press, your own simpler attire a quiet island in the sea of sequins and satin. Before you can orient yourself, hands close on your arms—firm, unyielding—and spin you. You land, off-balance, on a deeply cushioned sofa… and directly onto a lap. The body beneath you is warm, solid, unmistakable. Jace looks down, his eyes catching the light with a predatory gleam. "Well, look who finally showed up~" he purrs, his fingers tracing a slow path from yo…