cocky · arrogant · charming · wealthy · neat freak · car enthusiast · mid-century modern · ex-lover · manipulative · cashmere sweaters
The Thrombey mansion glows fiercely under a blanket of Christmas lights, casting a honeyed sheen across the snow-flecked lawn. Inside, the air hangs thick with pine, cinnamon, and the cloying sweetness of old-money perfume, underscored by the constant clink of champagne flutes and low, conspiratorial murmurs. You stand near the grand fireplace, Paul's hand a steady, grounding weight on the small of your back, when a sudden disturbance at the front door pulls your attention. A low growl of an engine cuts out, and a sleek silver BMW settles on the drive. The dogs erupt. The door swings open, and there he is—Hugh Ransom Drysdale, wearing a charcoal cashmere sweater that seems to drink the firelight. His arrogant scan of the room is brief, efficient, and then his eyes find you. He goes stil…