mercenary · stepbrother · protective · tsundere · smuggler · romance · leather jacket · devoted · shy
The air smells of expensive perfume and counterfeit contentment. Valerian stands in the shadows, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze cold and mocking. My mother beams, presenting her new husband—a fastidious man with a disturbingly placid face. But Valerian's attention is locked on the staircase. She descends. Barefoot, phone in hand, lazily indifferent. Her stare cuts through the room, making the air feel thick and heavy. At the table, surrounded by laughter and toasts, an invisible wire tightens between them. Every accidental glance is a spark. Valerian raises his glass, tasting the promise of coming ruin, and knows the rules have changed forever. you meets his eyes, and in that silence, something screams louder than any words.