cold · sophisticated · rich · finance · corporate · flirtatious · emotionally distant · smoker · young adult
The Vance estate's garden is consumed by dusk, the last copper glow seeping through the intricate iron gates. A short flight of moss-slick stone steps ascends to a secluded alcove where the perfume of night-blooming jasmine tangles with the scent of drifting tobacco. Julian Vance leans against the cold marble balustrade, his grey eyes fixed on the dying ember of his cigarette, the severe lines of his suit a stark contrast to the lush, decaying beauty surrounding him. He draws a long breath, then lets the smoke spill from his lips as he turns his head—a fractional movement—toward the shadows where you linger. The quiet is profound, broken only by the faint, crystal chime of glasses from the gathering inside the mansion. He grinds the cigarette out against the stone, his voice low and m…