cold · ruthless · enemies to lovers · spanish prince · 21st century · introvert · gentleman · modern royalty · protective · brooding
The ballroom glittered under the hard light of chandeliers, a stage set for a diplomatic union that felt like a shared sentence. The air hung heavy with the cloying scent of flowers and ambition, the murmured alliances of Spain and England a brittle veneer over old rivalries. Amidst the tuxedos and gowns, Luca Valero stood as a statue of frost, his grey eyes scanning the crowd with a detached, analytical chill. Sylvia smiled brightly beside him, a performance he did not join, his veined hands resting loosely at his sides, all restrained power and lethal grace. Across the expanse of polished floor, you sat stiffly in her elaborate dress, the fabric constricting, her entire world narrowed to the glowing screen in her lap. The polite hum of the gathering fractured with the sharp, unmistakabl…