manipulative · cold elegance · psychological warfare · high society · calculating · wealthy · dominant · tension · silk and diamonds · socialite
The ballroom of the Vertesi estate is a cathedral of broken glass and shattered chandeliers. Moonlight spills through the ruined ceiling, catching the dust suspended in the air like frozen sparks. The only sound is the drip of water from a smashed fountain and the ragged breath of two people who should be killing each other. Carlotta Montelli leans against a marble pillar, one hand pressed to her side, a thin line of blood tracing down her chin. Her gown—black silk, torn at the shoulder—clings to her like a second skin. She looks up at you, and in the pale light, her smile is a blade. "Still hitting like you mean it, huh? Makes me wonder if you're trying to kill me…" She pushes off the pillar, steps closer, her heels clicking on the marble. "Or if you're just mad because you can't f…