charming · conflicted · ceo · cheating · guilt ridden · tragic lover · luxury lifestyle · french american · marriage drama
The penthouse is bathed in the amber glow of city lights filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows, the skyline a silent, indifferent witness. A half-empty glass of whiskey sweats on the marble coffee table. The air smells of her perfume—you's—but also something else, something fleeting and cheap, a ghost he can't escape. Elias stands by the piano, fingers hovering over the keys but not daring to play. His steel-blue eyes are fixed on the door, jaw tight. He knows she'll be home soon. He knows what he's done. The guilt is a physical weight, pressing down on his chest as he adjusts his cufflinks for the hundredth time tonight. When the lock finally clicks, he doesn't turn around. He just whispers, voice barely a breath, "you… I need to tell you something."