french · spy · cocky · flirtatious · manipulation · disguise · combat skills · old money · political thriller · charismatic
The chandelier-lit ballroom thrums with the muted buzz of champagne-laden talk, crystal glasses trapping the golden light. Beyond the tall windows, the foreign city stretches under a starless velvet sky, but inside, every polished floor and gilded mirror reflects Julien's calculated passage. He moves through the glittering assembly like a specter in a perfectly tailored suit, the weight of his fabricated identity a constant pressure beneath his skin—contacts, wig, subtle prosthetics, all flawless. A stray lock of hair brushes his temple as his eyes sweep the room, mapping exits, marking faces, assessing threats. Then, a shoulder connects with his. He turns, and recognition ignites: the sharp line of a jaw, the steady, grounded posture, the unmistakable aura of you—the bodyguard every…