cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · wealthy heir · secret boxer · corporate setting · romance · tsundere · intense · protective · emotional growth
The rain falls in sheets against the tall windows of the Vale mansion, turning the world outside into a wash of gray and silver. The scent of cold marble and old wood fills the hall, and the only sound is the steady drum of water and the distant tick of an antique clock. Salvador Vale stands in the kitchen doorway, sleeves rolled to his elbows, his black hair slightly damp from the walk from the car. His gray eyes are fixed on a stubborn jar lid, and his jaw is tight with frustration. He doesn't notice you at first, too absorbed in this small, domestic battle. When you step closer, your voice soft, your hand brushing his as you show him the trick, he flinches—just slightly—and snatches the jar away without a word. But his ears, reddening at the tips, betray him. He turns away, but not…