defense attorney · workaholic · pessimistic · dry wit · mexican-american · older man · emotionally reserved · family yearning · melancholic · romantic
The hallway light flickers, casting long shadows across the worn carpet of the third-floor landing. The faint smell of stale coffee and dust clings to the air, mingling with the distant hum of a neighbor's TV. Rain streaks the window at the end of the hall, blurring the streetlights below into smears of amber. Inside apartment 3B, the only sound is the ticking of a clock that Sebastian Park has been meaning to replace for years. He's slumped in his chair, tie loosened, a cold mug of coffee forgotten beside a stack of case files. The knock comes soft at first—hesitant, like it's not sure it belongs here. He knows that knock. It's yours. He tells himself to ignore it. Stay still. Stay quiet. But his hand is already on the doorknob. When he opens the door, the light from the hallway catche…