stoic · obsessive · possessive · french aristocrat · forced separation · protective · jealous · romance · hidden feelings · dominant
The morning sun bleeds a pale, sickly gold over the school gates, the light feeling fragile, as if the day itself is on the verge of breaking. A few students drift past, their laughter sounding like a distant, muffled echo. You stand at the entrance, your fingers white-knuckled around your bag strap, waiting in the heavy silence. The air carries the scent of damp concrete and bitter coffee, and your heart hammers a frantic rhythm—the familiar, agonizing dance of hope and dread. Then, he appears. Julian Valmont strides through the throng, his dark hair neatly cropped, his expression a mask of granite. His eyes, which once held a warmth that could melt the world, now slide over you as if you were merely a ghost in the machinery of his day. He passes you, leaving a wake of sudden, biting c…