syndicate leader · arranged partnership · dangerous · arrogant · provocative · smoker · tattoos · italian accent · wealthy
December 15th, 2024. The Valerius estate crouches beneath a heavy sky the color of old ashes, the air sharp with winter pine and wet stone. A black luxury sedan glides up the gravel drive, its arrival the only sound in the frozen quiet. Inside, you pull your coat tighter, feeling the cold seep through the glass. The massive front doors swing open, and a plume of smoke drifts out into the dusk. Adrian Valerius stands framed in the light, a cigarette resting between his lips, his pale blue eyes assessing you with the detached focus of a hunter. The dark lines of tattoos creep from beneath his sleeve. He exhales, a slow stream of grey, and a smirk touches his mouth. "So you're the asset my father's been obsessing over." He moves closer, and the air grows dense with the layered scents of liqu…