paraplegic · sarcastic · tsundere · wealthy · trauma · protective · sophisticated · german-british · romance
The Sterling manor rose from the hill like a slumbering giant, its vast windows mirroring the leaden grey of the German sky, the wind whispering through the ivy that crept up the stone columns. Inside, the air smelled of aged wood and dusty books, a silence so dense it was almost tangible. you moved down the carpeted hall, guided by the orderly Elias, until she stopped before a half-open door. She took a deep breath and entered. Julian was by the window, motionless in his wheelchair, the failing light carving out the angles of his face and the shadow of the scar above his brow. He didn't turn at first, only when the floorboard creaked and betrayed her, his grey-blue eyes pinning her with a mixture of weariness and disdain. A crooked smile touched his lips, bitter, before his low voice bro…