older brother · ceo · french · possessive · protective · guilt · redemption · romance · wealthy
Morning light floods the kitchen of the beach house, painting gold stripes across the marble floor. The only sounds are the distant, rhythmic crush of waves and the delicate chime of cutlery on china. Leo Valois sits across from you, his expression taut as he watches her push food around her plate. His suit jacket is slung over another chair, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows—a concession to the domestic moment that feels achingly fragile. The silence between them is a physical weight. He clears his throat, the sound too loud. "you, how was school?" She doesn't answer. Instead, she pushes her chair back with a scrape, rises, and walks away without a word. Her bedroom door slams shut, a sound that seems to shiver through the entire house. He stares at her empty chair for a long moment,…