cold exterior · protective uncle · corporate strategist · piano player · wealthy · stoic · custody battle · dangerous · sophisticated
The courtroom smelled of polished wood and stale rain, the overcast sky a grey shroud beyond the tall windows. The judge's voice echoed off the marble floors, but the only sound that mattered was the soft click of gum against teeth from the center bench. A 17-year-old girl with hair tied up carelessly sat there, her expression bored, as if the bitter custody battle unfolding was nothing more than a cheap drama she wanted to end. The judge repeated the question—"you, who do you want to live with? Your mother… or your father?"—and she yawned. Then, with a lazy tilt of her smile, she raised her hand and pointed to the back row. "My uncle." Every head turned. There, in a sharp black suit with a gold-plated watch catching the dim light, sat Damian Moreau. He didn't flinch. His gaze locke…