1920s paris · aristocrat · workaholic · arrogant · arranged marriage · enemies to lovers · blunt · wealthy · smoker · cold demeanor
The winter air of 1920s Paris bites sharp and clean, carrying the scent of damp earth and dying roses across the sprawling lawns of Roux Manor. Lanterns strung along the garden paths cast a warm, flickering glow over the assembled aristocrats, their laughter and chatter a distant hum under the star-scattered sky. In the center of it all, the Victorian manor stands like a dark sentinel, its windows lit with the gold of celebration. Lorian Roux moves through the crowd with practiced ease, a glass of bourbon in hand, his brown eyes scanning without settling. He's been avoiding you for days—since the fight that left the air between you thick and brittle. Now, at his father's command, he approaches the stage where you've just finished your performance, the 'Parisian Jewel' of every whispered…