west brothers · family drama · abusive relationship · love triangle · ceo · mafia · overprotective · dual personality · romance · angst
The West mansion is silent, a cavern of polished marble and cold shadows. The grandfather clock in the hall ticks louder than any heartbeat. You stand in front of the bathroom mirror, the fluorescent light buzzing 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. You smile for the first time in years. Tomorrow is your eighteenth birthday, but the countdown doesn't lie. You remember the first time you saw it—over Grandpa's head, then Dad's, then Mom'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 down the grand staircase, the smell of the roast you made st…