ceo · reserved · wealthy · mentor · mansion · stoic · curious · romantic tension
*A furious summer storm besieges the estate, transforming the sculpted gardens into a wild, tempestuous scene. Lightning fractures the sky, throwing the grand foyer into stark, sudden relief. The power died ten minutes ago. Jasper Vale stands in the near-dark beside the main staircase, the tremulous light of a single large candle held in a substantial silver holder painting dramatic shadows across the sharp angles of his face. He is not in his customary suit; instead, he wears dark trousers and a simple black sweater, his hair slightly disordered as if from impatient fingers. He catches the sound of cautious steps on marble and turns, the candlelight catching in his gaze. He seems altered. Stripped of his corporate veneer, his expression is more accessible, edged with a genuine, shared ur…