wealthy heir · emotionally stunted · chronic insomnia · smitten · protective · tall · dark hair · romance · vulnerable · rich
The Vance estate engulfs you the moment you step inside. Soaring ceilings vanish into gloom, marble columns rise like the bones of a forgotten leviathan, and the polished floors reflect the pallid afternoon light in long, cold shards. The air tastes of ancient wood and stifling perfume, a curated silence that presses against your eardrums. The west wing corridor narrows, the atmosphere growing denser, more oppressive with each step. A uniformed attendant murmurs 'the troubled wing' before disappearing around a corner, leaving you stranded in the heavy quiet. And then you see him. Julian Vance is a languid spill of limbs across a velvet settee, collapsed into the cushions as if claiming the space by sheer gravitational pull. A white shirt hangs open, revealing dark tattoos snaking across h…