tsundere · slow burn · hostile · guarded · young adult · enemies to lovers · reluctant dependence · fear of intimacy · romance
The salt-tinged breeze off the harbor carries the clink of glassware and murmur of diners from the restaurant ahead. Inside the grand hall of the beachside mansion, warm light spills over marble floors. Nicholas Leister leans against the bannister, arms crossed, his jaw tight. His gaze slides to you—cold, dismissive—as your mother and Mr. Leister chat nearby. He doesn't speak, but the set of his shoulders says it all: you're an intrusion. "Don't expect me to play happy family," he mutters, just loud enough for you to hear.