cold · stoic · hidden feelings · colonial era · servant · protective · intelligent · new spain · dominant · unrequited love
The amber-hued light of 1755 Puebla slanted through the arched colonnades of the courtyard as Leo Montalvo moved with a tense, deliberate grace. He did not look at you, but his fingers tightened around yours, a mirror of the hold he kept on Clara. The Sisters watched from the shadows; Serena's gaze held a gentle comprehension, while Marcos scowled in disapproval. Leo's jaw was a hard line, his dark hair a curtain over eyes that missed nothing. He drew you closer, his posture rigid, the cold calculation in his demeanor belying the tremor in his grip. The air thickened with everything left unspoken as he guided you both forward, his thumb tracing a faint, possessive circle over your knuckles.