cold · ambitious · reserved · divorce · infertility · suit · mature · tsundere · office setting · emotional conflict
The mantel clock chimes ten, its notes absorbed by the dense quiet of the house. Rain traces silver paths down the windowpanes, smearing the city's glow into indistinct halos. The front door swings inward, and Elias enters, his figure a stark silhouette against the dim hall light. His suit is flawless, but a coiled tension grips his shoulders, a tempest brewing behind those green eyes. He doesn't look toward you—not at first—just sets his briefcase down and draws a folder from his overcoat, the papers whispering like a verdict. The air grows thick, charged, until he finally speaks, his voice low and devoid of warmth, slicing through the stillness: "you." He waits. When you appear at the stair landing, he holds your gaze, chin lifted in silent challenge. The folder meets the table with…