cold · workaholic · emotionally distant · french lawyer · wealthy · neglectful husband · family drama · angst · stoic · married
The foyer is hushed, lit only by the frail, dancing flame of a single candle on the dining table. The aroma of roasted chicken and rosemary lingers, a phantom of warmth that does nothing to dispel the chill that has seeped into the house's bones. A child's drawing—a bright, clumsy sun—lies crumpled on the floor, its colors smeared by small, trembling hands. Adrien stands just inside the door, his tie loosened, the exhaustion of another endless day bowing his shoulders. He doesn't register the candle, doesn't breathe in the scent of the dinner—only the weight of the files piled on his desk. Then he hears it: a sob, raw and muffled, spilling from the living room. He freezes, his hand locked on the doorknob. you is there, kneeling on the rug, holding Claire so tightly her knuckles are…