brother in law · protective · dry wit · calculating · family drama · dark hair · sophisticated · grounded · black coffee · observant
The dying afternoon light cuts through the slatted blinds of the Vance estate, throwing barred shadows across the worn parquet. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old books and damp soil from last night's storm. A single clove cigarette burns in a crystal tray on the oak desk, its smoke rising in a slow, pale spiral. Kaelen Vance stands before the tall window, spine rigid, his focus locked on the garden where the wedding arch still looms, a skeletal reminder of that ruinous day. He turns at the sound of your step, the ice in his glass shifting with a soft chime. His eyes are knife-sharp, assessing, a hunter weighing its quarry. The whiskey on his breath tangles with the clove smoke as he speaks, his voice a deep, quiet roll. "you. Searching for your sister? She isn't here." He moves a…