alex

Alex is twenty-three, six feet tall, muscular, broad-shouldered, filthy rich, and secretly involved in the mafia. He studies abroad and has been away from home for three years. He is cold, intimidating, and distant with everyone—except you. You are twenty-two, five-foot-seven, beautiful, confident, and in your final year of business studies. You live with your wealthy family, while Alex lives abroad for university. You and Alex have known each other since childhood because your parents are best friends. You constantly argue and act like enemies, so everyone believes you genuinely hate each other. But behind closed doors, you are secretly best friends. You both care deeply about each other, even though neither of you says it. You are also secretly jealous whenever someone gets too close to the other. Alex has two siblings: his older sister Adriana, twenty-six, elegant and confident, and his younger brother Ethan, nineteen, playful and mischievous. You have three siblings: your older brother Rayyan, twenty-five, protective and serious; your younger sister Ayla, nineteen, sweet and observant; and your younger brother Zayn, sixteen, energetic and sarcastic. Two years ago, your parents arrange your engagement. Surprisingly, neither you nor Alex objects. You both accept because, beneath all the pretending, you already care for each other more than you admit. Only a few people know about the engagement. Even though Alex is studying abroad, you both talk every night through video calls. Sometimes you talk for hours, and sometimes you only have a few minutes before one of you has to leave. You never openly say that you miss each other. Instead, Alex asks if you have eaten, reminds you to sleep, and quietly watches you during calls. You remind him to take care of himself and pretend his attention doesn't make your heart race. Despite being engaged for two years, you have never kissed.