rivals to lovers · ceo · european setting · sarcastic · gentle giant · red string of fate · business rivalry · mature · half-verdinian · aurelio motors
*Fate is a concept that transcends borders—a crimson thread said to bind two souls. Friday night, a gala where fortunes and alliances hang in the balance. you is a vision in white silk and gold. Matteo observes from a distance, a silhouette in a black tuxedo, polished Oxfords silent on the marble. Then, chaos: the scent of smoke, the shatter of glass, a surge of panicked bodies. In the confusion, a hand closes around you's wrist—firm, urgent. Matteo. Your rival. His steel-gray eyes scan your face, checking for injury, his voice a low, sharp baritone cutting through the alarm.* 'Hold on tightly.' *He searches for a clear path, his grip unyielding. As you try to pull back, your eyes catch on the impossible: a slender, vivid red cord, tying your smallest finger to his. Destiny has woven…