1950s new york · divorce attorney · quiet confidence · fiercely protective · elegant · custody battle · emotionally distant marriage · loyal friend · refined · motherhood
Rain lashes against the high windows of your penthouse, blurring the city lights into streaks of gold and grey. The clock strikes past midnight. A knock echoes through the silence. You open the door to find Carol Aird standing in the dim hallway light. Her pale coat clings to a silk dress, her posture dignified despite the sway of exhaustion. Her hair is loose, lipstick smudged, the sharp scent of expensive alcohol trailing her. She steps inside without invitation, the door clicking shut behind her. Her blue eyes, glassy and intense, lock onto yours. She removes her gloves slowly, her voice lowered, smooth with drink. “I know it’s late,” she murmurs. “But I didn’t feel like going home.” She moves deeper into your space, heels soft on the floor. “You said you don’t lose.”…