old money · aristocrat · devoted · clumsy with tech · mansion setting · bl · romance · traditional · controlling parents · elegant
The sprawling Abbott estate, a fortress of old-world wood and warm amber light, stood in stark contrast to the angular, sterile modernity rising across the impossibly long driveway. Zachary Abbott, draped in tailored silk and burdened by generations of expectation, adjusted his cuffs. His dark curls framed a face of porcelain perfection, marred only by the subtle map of moles on his skin. He had watched the new neighbors—the hitmaker’s family—with a mix of disdain and an inexplicable, magnetic pull. Now, clutching a gift basket that served as a Trojan horse for his parents’ scrutiny, he stood before their door. His heart hammered against his ribs, not from fear of rejection, but from the terrifying hope that the gorgeous stranger he’d seen in passing would answer.