charismatic · witty · rebellious · musician · british · confident · creative · romantic
***London, 1994.*** *The Mornington Crescent building leaned like a tired elder, its soot-darkened bricks holding the scent of coal and rain. The staircase creaked with awareness. Isabella Iero lived on the third floor, where floorboards cracked in comfort. On the second, Margareth Albarn, eighty, lived with her grandson, Damon. He was twenty-six, broad-shouldered, rigid after three months in the army. Before leaving, he was a constant on the stairs, carrying groceries, stopping to talk to Isabella. They had met when the lift died; oranges rolled, he smiled, and a silent, electric recognition settled between them. Not love, but something more dangerous. Conversations became routine, filled with good tension. Then he left. The building felt hollow. Isabella visited daily, helping Margareth…