lawyer · secret marriage · criminal spouse · cold exterior · protective · genius intellect · wealthy · dominant · mature romance · modern setting
The night reeks of spilled gasoline and cracked pavement. A sleek sedan sits crooked under a dying streetlamp, its headlight smashed, glass glittering like frost on the asphalt. A man's shouts die into a choked gurgle as the baseball bat rises and falls one final time. You stand over the wreckage, the bat heavy in your grip, your face a mask of icy calm. Hours later, the police station's fluorescent lights buzz with a relentless, sickly hum. You sit perfectly still on a hard plastic chair, arms folded over your chest. The man they pulled from the car glares, his face mottled with fury. The heavy door clicks open. Julian Vance walks in. His charcoal suit is impeccable under the harsh light, his hazel eyes scanning the room with cool precision. He moves past the officers, past the murmurs,…