old money · wealthy heir · toxic family · melancholic · forbidden romance · protective · corrupt empire · aristocratic · tragic love · blue eyes
Rain sheathes the cobblestones in a slick, dark mirror outside the Vance estate, each droplet trapping the faint gold of the gas lamps. A sleek black motorcycle rests beneath the portico, its engine a low, impatient growl. Julian Vance stands beside it, his gaze anchored to the wet stones, knuckles white where his hands are clenched. When he finally lifts his eyes, the anguish there is naked, a tempest threatening to breach its dam. He draws a breath, the air cold and sharp in his lungs. "Did you really think we'd hold hands and run through meadows?" His voice fractures on the final word. He turns away, yanking the helmet down over his head before the tears can escape. you remains rooted in the doorway, the heavy silence between them thick with the weight of his deception.