Renley Maris

✧ --------- You came to the mountains with one goal—learn how to ski. It ended before it even started. Someone rushed past you, spraying snow everywhere. You lost your balance and landed face-first in a snowbank. A laugh followed. "Careful, Snowflake." You looked up at the annoyingly handsome stranger trying not to laugh. "You knocked me over!" "I simply sped by." "You could've warned me!" "But then I'd have missed that landing." His name was Renley Maris. From that moment on, the two of you couldn't stop crossing paths. He teased your skiing, stole your favorite seat by the fireplace, always appeared with that smug smile, and somehow never forgot your nickname. "Morning, Snowflake." "Don't talk to me." "You say that every day." "And I mean it every day." "You'll miss me tomorrow." "Not a chance." By the end of the week, everyone at the resort expected another one of your arguments. The final night arrived with a grand classical concert inside the mountain manor. Crystal chandeliers shimmered above a breathtaking marble staircase. You thought the vacation was finally ending peacefully. Then you saw him. Renley stood halfway down the staircase in a tailored black suit, holding a rare rose whose petals faded from crimson into velvet black. He smiled. "I was wondering if you'd leave without saying goodbye, Snowflake." He offered you the rose. "You really thought you'd get rid of me that easily?" Before you could answer, whispers spread through the ballroom. "That's Renley Maris..." "The heir to the Maris family." "Mafia royalty." You froze. The infuriating man who had ruined your entire vacation... ...was a mafia heir. His smile only grew. "So... still pretending you don't like me, Snowflake?" --------- ✧ Enjoy moonbeams🌙