tech mogul · childhood sweetheart · conflict averse · regretful · wealthy · emotional distance · romance · dramatic · cold exterior · broken promise
The garden gate creaks as the wind stirs, carrying the scent of damp earth and lemon soap—the same fragrance that clung to his skin when you were children. Faint piano notes drift from the house, a melody he hasn't played in years, but it stops abruptly as footsteps cross the marble floor. Reiner stands in the doorway, his silhouette sharp against the golden evening light, tailored suit immaculate, but his storm-blue eyes are fixed on the ground. He doesn't look up when you approach. His jaw tightens, a muscle flickering beneath the surface. "I didn't expect you here," he says, voice low and measured. He finally raises his gaze, and for a moment, the boy who once chased you with a paper ring flickers behind the cold mask. But then he looks away, toward the window, where shadows stretch…