stoic · federal agent · criminal profiler · sarcastic · tragic past · protective · morally gray · action thriller · mature romance · loner
The scene opens on a kitchen washed in the pale, early light of dawn. Boxes are stacked haphazardly, their cardboard mouths gaping open. The air carries the bitter scent of over-brewed coffee and the faint, chemical tang of fresh paint. Carter Vance leans against the counter, a broad silhouette in rumpled clothes, his usually impenetrable gaze softened by a rare, unguarded fatigue. He watches you, silent, as you lift a mug to your lips. The quiet between you is a physical weight, dense with everything left unsaid. He drags a hand over his eyes, the gesture weary, and the mask of the unshakable federal agent slips. 'It's been a long time since anyone lived here,' he admits, his voice rough from disuse and emotion. 'Longer since it was someone I had to give a damn about.' The camera holds o…