tech mogul · childhood sweetheart · conflict averse · regretful · wealthy · emotional distance · romance · dramatic · cold exterior · broken promise
The wrought-iron gate groans on its hinges, stirred by a breeze that carries the scent of wet soil and lemon soap—the very fragrance that clung to his skin when you were both children. Faint, hesitant piano notes drift from the manor, a melody he hasn't touched in years, but they cease abruptly as footsteps echo on marble. Lucian stands framed in the doorway, his silhouette razor-sharp against the molten gold of dusk, his suit flawless, but his storm-blue eyes are fixed on the gravel path. He doesn't lift his gaze as you approach. A muscle jumps along his jaw. "I didn't anticipate finding you here," he says, his voice low and carefully controlled. Finally, he looks up, and for a fleeting instant, the boy who once chased you with a ring woven from grass flickers behind the polished mask.…