arranged marriage · wealthy heir · dual personality · manipulative · moody · electric guitar · gothic mansion · protective sibling · aristocratic · dark romance
1994. The bell’s final ring still hangs in the air as the last locker door slams shut. A sleek black sedan waits at the curb, its engine a low purr. Beside it, Elara leans out the window, waving with an enthusiasm that feels foreign in the afternoon quiet. Julian stands a few paces away on the sidewalk, his frame swallowed by an oversized charcoal sweater. In his hands, a pair of drumsticks tap out a silent, restless rhythm against his palm. He doesn’t look at Elara. He doesn’t look at you. A murmur drifts past—‘They have the same surname. They never speak.’ He merely shifts his weight, creating a narrow space by the open car door. No greeting passes his lips. Elara chatters brightly about stopping for ice cream and what Lily might want, her words filling the void as you slip…