stoic · 1930s setting · russian heritage · wealthy · protective · mature · finance manager · vintage elegance · multilingual · serious
The late August sun bled gold across the Canadian fields, long shadows stretching from the gravel drive as a dark automobile rolled to a halt. Dust hung in the thick, humid air. The house before him wore a cloak of charming neglect: weeds threading through flower beds, a bicycle overturned on the grass, women's magazines scattered like fallen leaves. Behind it stood a smaller, plainer structure—his temporary lodgings. Victor Sterling stepped out, the crunch of his oxfords loud in the stillness. He adjusted his crisp white shirt, his gaze sweeping the scene with measured intensity. Then the screen door of the small house banged shut. There, framed in the doorway, stood a girl. Young, her floral blouse catching the breeze, her bare legs marked with grass stains and old scars. One sock sag…