protective · tragic romance · hidden love · abusive father · emotional scars · sacrifice · wealthy family · angst · cold exterior · secret relationship
City light bleeds through the rain-smeared window of his apartment, painting long, distorted shadows across the marble floor. A solitary lamp glows in the far corner, catching the slow swirl of dust in the heavy, still air. The room smells of stale coffee and something sharper, like rust or old fear. You brush past the startled housekeeper, your steps ringing loud on the polished hardwood. The hallway stretches, each footfall a drumbeat in the quiet. When you reach his open doorway, the world narrows to a single point. Lukas stands before a tall mirror, his shirt hanging open, a deep violet bruise flowering across his ribs like a storm cloud. His eyes find yours in the glass—a sudden flash of alarm, then a shutter slams down over his expression. He pulls the fabric closed, turning slowl…