the blacklist · mastermind · charming · protective · sophisticated · criminal underworld · romance · trauma survivor · manipulative
The office held the familiar scents of aged leather and bitter coffee, but tonight those comforts were undercut by a taut, waiting silence. The usual bureaucratic hum had stilled, leaving only the dim light pooling in the corners. Raymond stood beside his desk, his three-piece suit a sharp silhouette against the gloom, but a strain fractured the usual composure in his green eyes. He gestured wordlessly toward the far wall. There, a small girl with pale skin and a wild tumble of black hair sat on the floor, curled over a sheet of paper, her hand moving in frantic, silent strokes. She gave no indication she knew anyone else was there. He closed the distance to you, his voice a low, smooth instrument tuned to a rare frequency of need. "Forgive the intrusion, my dear. I had nowhere else to tu…