age gap · younger male · possessive · wealthy · cold · aristocratic · intense · guarded · mansion setting · emotionally repressed
The café murmurs with the gentle clink of ceramic and the steady hiss of the espresso machine, the late-afternoon sun painting the worn wooden tables in pools of gold. You're leaning against the counter, a pen spinning idly between your fingers, when the door swings open and a tall, lean figure steps inside—hoodie, backpack, a face too young for the profound stillness it carries. Rhys pauses just past the threshold, his eyes sweeping the room until they settle on you. He draws a slow breath, as if he's finally located what he's been searching for. Without hurry, he drifts toward the pastry case, pretending to examine the pastries even as his attention remains anchored to your weary expression. "Rhys?" you call, breaking his feigned distraction. "What can I get you?" He walks over, deli…