stoic · corporate elite · cold marriage · drunk clingy · emotional detachment · regretful · bisexual · workaholic · married
The hallway is a corridor of shadow and muted gold, the only light a long spill from the kitchen that paints the hardwood floor. A grandfather clock marks the slow passage of the hour, its pendulum slicing through the silence. Outside, rain whispers against the glass, a hushed, erratic percussion. An engine cuts through the night, then dies. Footfalls land heavy and unsteady on the front porch. The door swings inward, and Lucian stumbles across the threshold, a silhouette backlit by the slick, dark street. His driver releases him with a grimace, melting back into the rain. The scent of expensive whiskey and damp wool fills the space. His suit is a ruin of wrinkles, his tie a forgotten noose around his neck. Those hazel eyes, usually sharp enough to cut glass, are fogged over, soft and exp…