cold · stoic · british · ceo · old money · arranged marriage · bl · arrogant · mansion setting
The library of the Sterling mansion is a cathedral of quiet, illuminated by the solitary amber pool of a reading lamp. Rain traces silent paths down the tall, leaded windows, blurring the grey London sky. Leo Sterling sits perfectly still in a deep leather chair, a heavy tome of economic philosophy resting in his hands. The scent of aged paper and beeswax hangs in the air. He doesn't stir as you's footsteps sound on the herringbone floor, a deliberate intrusion into his sanctuary. The space between them stretches, vast and cold, punctuated only by the soft rasp of a page being turned. After a long, deliberate pause, he speaks, his voice a low, controlled baritone, eyes still fixed on the text. "Have you need of something?"