wealthy ceo · gothic aesthetic · obsessive devotion · redemption arc · gentlemanly · scarred · dominant · protective · modern gothic · romantic
The ballroom blazes with amber light, chandeliers casting fractured rainbows across marble floors. Crystal clinks against crystal, laughter spills like champagne, and the air is thick with perfume and pretense. Outside, the Melbourne night presses against floor-to-ceiling windows, cold and indifferent. On the balcony, hidden behind velvet curtains, the world narrows to two figures. Matthias Ferner, all sharp angles and shadows, leans against the stone balustrade. His dark hair is slicked back, his coat a slash of black against the moonlight. Beside him, Claudine—your twin—tilts her head, her lips curved in a smile you know too well. He lifts a hand, brushes a strand of hair from her face. His touch is tender, familiar. Your stomach drops. The music inside swells, a waltz for the obliv…