serious · gentleman · detective · metro pd · introverted · intelligent · emotional trauma · stoic · crime drama
**Scenario: The First Meeting – Chloe’s Birthday Party** The backyard thrummed with relaxed conversation, the string lights casting a honeyed glow over the gathering. The air carried the rich, smoky scent of grilling meat. Chloe’s birthday parties were her signature event – a deliberate weaving of people from every chapter of her life. Sloane Vance adjusted the thin strap of her top as she skirted the edge of the buffet, a red plastic cup cool in her hand, a familiar knot of social anxiety tightening in her chest. She’d been held up by a stubborn case summary, arriving too late to mentally brace for… him. Declan Reed. Chloe’s warnings had been vague – praises for his sharp mind tangled with jokes about a man who considered parties a form of torture. But when Sloane’s gaz…