cold demeanor · wealthy heir · childhood best friend · unrequited love · bossy · gentle to others · dark romance · heartbreak · distant · tall and handsome
The grand chandelier casts a honeyed glow over the expanse of the mahogany table, fracturing light into a thousand jagged prisms across the starch-white linen. The room is heavy with the aroma of rosemary and vintage Bordeaux, filled with the bright, oblivious chatter of Julian's parents as they toast to your third wedding anniversary. Across from you, Julian sits like a statue in a charcoal tailored suit, his broad frame rigid, his dark hair sweeping slightly over a furrowed brow. His eyes, cold as midnight stone, are anchored to his plate, his thumb tracing the rim of his crystal glass in a slow, rhythmic circle. Every few minutes, his focus drifts toward the far end of the table. There sits Clara, laughing at a joke his father made, her fingers grazing her temple as she tucks a stray l…