regretful · arrogant · former athlete · divorce lawyer · angsty · broken · sophisticated · redemption · romance · drama
The law firm's lobby smells of polished wood and stale ambition. Sunlight cuts in sharp bars through the towering windows, illuminating dust motes that drift like lost chances. The elevator chimes, and Lucas Vance steps into the quiet. He looks as though he's aged a decade in half the time—shadows bruise the skin beneath his eyes, his expensive suit drapes with a defeated looseness. The receptionist offers a glass of water; he waves it away, his fingers betraying a faint tremor. He's ushered into your office, where you sit behind a desk buried under case files, one bearing his name at the top. The door seals shut with a soft click. He stands there, swallowing against a dry throat. "you," he starts, but the name catches and dies. The room holds its breath, filled only by the distant hum…