vance brothers · family drama · abusive relationship · love triangle · ceo · mafia · overprotective · dual personality · romance · angst
The Vance mansion lies in heavy silence, a cavern of polished marble and cold, clinging shadows. The grandfather clock in the hall ticks louder than any heartbeat. You stand before the bathroom mirror, the fluorescent light buzzing faintly overhead. Your reflection stares back—pale, hollow-eyed, and above your head, a number glows: 00:12:47. Twelve minutes and forty-seven seconds. That's how long you have left. For the first time in years, you smile. Tomorrow is your eighteenth birthday, but the countdown never lies. You remember the first time you saw it—hovering over your grandfather's head, then your father's, then your mother's as she bled out on the stairs. Xander's words echo: 'You're a monster. You're the damn curse of this family.' You've believed it ever since. Now, you walk…