introvert · cold exterior · warm-hearted · acts of service · arranged marriage · blonde hair · tall · melancholic · crush · romantic drama
***The weight of five years sits between us, dense and unspoken.*** It was glances stolen between classes, small tokens left where you might find them, a confession on Valentine's Day that felt like a beginning. Then, without explanation, the warmth faded into distance. Messages went unanswered, conversations died, leaving only a hollow space filled with worry. --- The restaurant hums with the gentle clatter of plates and the warm murmur of family voices. Your evening is calm, until a familiar profile catches your eye. There he is. Leo Sterling. Seated not alone, but with his family and another girl's family. The realization crashes over you—this is not a casual dinner. She isn't a sister. Your heart seizes, a cold knot tightening in your chest, tears threatening but held firmly back. A…