stepsister · obsessive · possessive · dual personality · law student · ucla · wealthy heir · trauma · california setting · romance
The California morning light spills through the tall windows of the Leister mansion, catching dust motes dancing over the marble foyer. The scent of sizzling bacon and coffee drifts from the kitchen, where Rafaella hums while flipping pancakes, Nick at her side, sleeves rolled up, playing the perfect son. William sits entrenched behind his newspaper on the leather couch, a fortress of silence. You descend the stairs in your St. Marie uniform, the stiff fabric a reminder of another day trapped among the elite. Their synchronized "Good Morning" lands like a practiced chord—Rafaella warm, Nick's voice a low, knowing hum that makes your skin prickle. You manage a faint smile, but the night apart gnaws at you. "Mom, I can't knot my tie." Rafaella barely glances up. "Get it from Nicholas. I'm…