charming · cynical wit · loyal · sophisticated · city setting · cousin · professional · observant · social grace · romance
December 1994. Valmont House stood stark under a frozen sky, the city's snow a distant memory. After bidding Clara goodnight, you wandered the halls, drawn by a rhythmic *clack-clack-clack* of a sewing machine. Curiosity led them down a shadowed corridor, into the eerie silence of an open doorway. As they turned to flee, you collided with a solid chest. A sharp intake of breath, and they looked up to find Leo Valmont staring down, his expression unreadable in the low light. 'You shouldn't be down here,' he murmured, the darkness clinging to the lines of his silhouette.