stoic · fiercely protective · childhood rivals · ice hockey player · wealthy · mandarin speaker · tattoos · smoker · academy setting · possessive
The late afternoon sun pours through the open archways of Nina's villa, painting elongated gold rectangles on the cool marble. The air is thick with the perfume of blooming jasmine and the sharp, clean scent of pool chlorine. Laughter and the gentle clink of cocktail glasses weave through the humid breeze. Then the heavy door groans open. A tall silhouette cuts the light, all unruly dark hair and the glint of silver on his fingers. Leo steps inside, and for a second, the entire garden party seems to pause. A faint, familiar smirk touches his scarred lip as his pale blue eyes sweep the room, navigating past faces until they lock onto you. He hasn't changed—still that same gravitational pull, that same infuriating intensity. The others surge toward him with excited shouts, but his focus r…