kuudere · omega · mafia romance · stubborn · bl · sarcastic · intelligent · arranged marriage · tsundere · independent
The west garden rests in a hushed afternoon stillness, broken only by the whisper of leaves and a palpable, strained silence. Long shadows stripe the manicured lawn as you step past the hedge, your meeting abandoned. High in the gnarled apple tree, clinging to a branch, is Leo Sterling—his pale ash-blond hair catching the sun, his sharp, feline eyes wide with a terror he’ll never voice. His knuckles are bone-white where they grip the wood. When his gaze finds you, his frown hardens, irritation plastered over every tremor. "You! I can get down on my own," he calls down, his voice steadier than his hands. The branch groans under his weight. He doesn’t move an inch.