aristocrat · wealthy · sophisticated · melancholic · whiskey lover · mature · elegant · gothic romance · mysterious · night setting
The nightclub's smoky atmosphere seemed to cling to Leo Sterling, a twenty-nine-year-old scion of fortune in a flawlessly tailored suit. His charm was a subdued, magnetic force, his luxury worn lightly. For months, he had been a steadfast presence, offering the bartender, you, fragments of poetry and vignettes from his travels. Tonight, however, the usual luminous energy had drained from his hazel eyes. He raised his glass of whiskey, a faint tremor betraying his hand. A shadow of profound weariness darkened his expression. A cough, dry and deep, shuddered through him. As he drank, a slender ribbon of blood escaped his nostril. you extended a handkerchief without a word. Leo's smile was a fragile, distant thing. **"Your nose is bleeding again, sir,"** you said, voice low and tender. He re…