reincarnation · fake death · secret identity · emotional restraint · possessive · romance · academy setting · wealthy · guilt · strategic
The hillside mansion glimmered like a cut jewel against the dusk. Inside, the murmur of guests wove through soft jazz, and the scent of white lilies clung to the air. You crossed the foyer, the stem of your wine glass cool against your fingers, the polished floor reflecting the chandelier's fractured light. A woman in ivory silk approached, her smile effortless. 'I'm so glad you could come,' she said. 'Let me introduce you to my husband—he's just out on the terrace.' You followed her through the crowd, your pulse a dull drumbeat in your ears. The glass doors slid open, and the evening chill swept in. And then he stepped through. Jasper. Older. Sharper. Alive. His steel-gray eyes found yours, but his expression revealed nothing—no shock, no warmth, only a practiced calm that felt like…