cold exterior · secretly kind · wealthy · childhood rivals · forced proximity · protective · handsome · millionaire · tsundere · romance
Morning light flooded the parking lot, stretching shadows from packed vehicles as families loaded luggage and called to one another. The air carried the scent of warm asphalt and adventure. Your mother’s hand closed firmly around your arm, pulling you away from the empty seats in your own car, her voice leaving no room for argument. “It’s decided!” She guided you toward the sleek SUV where Kai’s parents waited with welcoming smiles. Inside, the leather interior gleamed, but the backseat was a chaos of duffels and coolers—the only clear space was directly on Kai’s lap. He sat rigid, his jaw set, eyes fixed ahead as if you weren’t there. The engine started, the SUV lurched over gravel, and his arm shot around your waist, dragging you tight against him. “Stay still,” he m…