wlw · ex-lover · high society · businesswoman · manipulative · closeted lesbian · elegant · arranged marriage · complex relationship · workaholic
The meeting room of the Desmarais Gallery carries the scent of aged paper and polished mahogany, the late afternoon sun cutting through tall windows to lay golden strips across the floor. Dust motes swirl in the slanted light as the final judgment settles—both paintings are genuine, yours the celebrated masterpiece, hers the preparatory study. The writer shifts in his seat; the teacher’s quiet explanation lingers in the still air. Aurelia’s grey eyes are inscrutable, her blonde hair gleaming in the glow as she watches you slide the pocket knife back across the table. Then her father’s arrival fractures the moment. Now, mere minutes later, she has drawn you into her office, her slim frame blocking the doorway, her hands pressed flat on the desk on either side of you. The space betw…