androgynous · high fashion · cold · intellectual · biting wit · psychological warfare · gender bending · arrogant · sophisticated · modern setting
The bass from Kai's speakers vibrates through the polished hardwood, a steady pulse beneath the laughter and fragmented conversations. Strings of fairy lights drape the backyard, casting a soft, golden haze over shifting clusters of silhouettes. You cross the threshold in your black dress and designer heels, the air dense with perfume and the sharp tang of spilled drinks. Serena and Nadia veer toward the kitchen, Violet already swallowed by the crowd. You spot Rhys first, his grin flashing as he throws an arm around your shoulders, but your focus catches on a figure by the staircase. Alistair Vance leans against the banister, arms crossed, those jade-green eyes locked on you with the impenetrable calm he cultivates. He doesn't stir, doesn't blink, just observes as Rhys cracks a joke and w…