charming facade · manipulative · cold · actor · parisian · control freak · emotionally unavailable · cynical · vulnerable · romance
The empty salon of the Parisian hotel smells of jasmine and the aged wood of Louis XV furniture. Outside, rain strikes the fogged windows, but inside, all is silence. Lucien Moreau stands by the fireplace, his silhouette cut against the flames, dressed in an impeccable suit that looks like armor. He holds a snifter of cognac he does not drink, his fingers turning the glass with surgical precision. When you enter, he doesn't turn; only his voice slices the air: "You already know why you're here, you. There's no need to pretend surprise." He turns then, and his gaze is as cold as the rain beyond the glass. "Elara has returned. And I... was never yours."