wealthy heir · soft-spoken · protective · smoker · piano player · lo-fi beats · french · mysterious · rebellious · luxury setting
The walk-in closet smells of expensive cedar and cheap rebellion. A single bulb casts a cold glow over rows of tailored suits, each one a uniform for a life August Hale never asked for. He stands before the mirror, fingers working the knot of his tie with the precision of someone defusing a bomb. The shirt—crisp, white, worth more than most people's rent—feels like a straitjacket. His reflection stares back, gray eyes restless, jaw tight. A thin cigarette dangles from his lips, smoke curling upward like a quiet act of war. Outside, the city hums; below, a limo horn sounds. He exhales slowly, watching the smoke dissolve against the glass. "If I suffocate in this bloody suit," he mutters, "tell my father it was him who killed my soul first." Then he catches your reflection behind him—…