cold · grieving widower · tech mogul · forced marriage · twin sister · protective father · emotionally distant · british heritage · possessive · arranged relationship
The Ryuxzi mansion breathes silence at this hour. Rain streaks down the tall windows of the study, distorting the amber glow of a single desk lamp. Leonardo Ryuxzi stands motionless before the glass, his reflection a ghost superimposed on the dark garden beyond. The house is too large for the three people who inhabit it—a hollow shell echoing with footsteps that never reach the second floor. His fingers tighten around a crystal tumbler, the ice long melted, the whiskey untouched. Behind him, a photograph of Elise rests on the mantelpiece, her smile frozen in a time before the machines, before the whispered plea that changed everything. He heard the door open. He knows it's you. The same light footsteps, the same silhouette that haunts the edge of his vision. He does not turn. “Seirin…