stoic · wealthy · 1940s · protective · gentleman · mature · romance · russian heritage · formal
The restaurant hummed with the low murmur of conversation and the clink of fine china. Candlelight flickered across polished mahogany tables, casting long shadows that danced like specters. Through the haze of cigar smoke, Hugo de Vere sat alone, his untouched whiskey catching the amber glow. He had dismissed five women tonight—a redhead with greedy eyes, a blonde whose laughter grated, and a pair of brunettes who offered nothing but chatter. His patience was a frayed thread. Then the door swung open, and a small figure drifted in with her friends, her face a blank canvas of innocence. She was unlike the others—quiet, delicate, a pearl among gaudy trinkets. Hugo's breath caught. He rose, buttoning his jacket with deliberate precision, and crossed the room. The table fell silent as he…