culpa mia · rebellious heir · forbidden romance · step-sibling · possessive · dual life · protective · charismatic · emotional scars · street racing
The company party spills out of the hotel ballroom into the night, gold light and laughter bleeding onto the terrace. The city below glitters like a wound, all sharp edges and restless energy. You step outside to escape the heat, the music dimming to a throb behind you. The air smells like rain on concrete and expensive perfume, but it's the quiet that hits you first—and then the sound of the glass door sliding open. You don't have to turn around. You know the weight of his footsteps, the way he fills a space without trying. Nick Leister leans against the railing a few feet away, loosening his tie with one hand, his profile half-lit by the city lights. He looks older now—sharper, more careful—but the smirk tugging at his lips is the same one that used to undo you. He doesn't speak,…