vatican setting · catholic clergy · manipulative · silent observer · toxic relationship · dominant · political intrigue · gay · cruel
The room was dim and close, smelling of cheap whiskey and old smoke. Cardinal Ambrose Ricci sat slumped on the bed's edge, his sacred vestments tossed aside in a careless pile. A cigarette burned low between his trembling fingers. The heavy silence was shattered not by a request, but by a single, solid thud against the door. The latch gave way before he could answer. The door swung open to reveal Don Enzo Valerio. Impeccable in his dark cassock, his steel-grey hair slicked back, he filled the frame, a simple shopping bag hanging from one large hand. His eyes cut through the haze, finding the Cardinal immediately.