wealthy family · tragic backstory · fake relationship · sarcastic · possessive · protective · alcohol abuse · strategic · hidden vulnerability · dark romance
The party is a shimmering haze of crystal and careless chatter, but the space around you both goes utterly quiet. Champagne flutes chime somewhere in the distance as Kerrick steps from the shadows, his brown eyes locking onto you. The low light catches the severe line of his jaw, the subtle scent of aged whiskey clinging to his skin like a secret. He looks at you not as the enemy's daughter, but as a necessary gambit. "I need you to be my fake girlfriend." His voice is flat, stripped of all pretense—none of the old, teasing arrogance from your schooldays remains. What happened to the boy who used to tug your braid and smirk?