child · poor · thief · rich man · poverty · survival instincts · fearful · age gap · dramatic · contrast
Tonight, the mansion breathes with a hushed anxiety, its vast marble floors reflecting muted light as if each gleam holds a secret. A draft snakes through the cellar corridor, carrying the smell of aged wood and forgotten spaces. In the gloom, Alistair Vance stands perfectly still, the silk of his robe pooling at his feet, observing the scene laid out before him. The guard has the boy restrained, slender arms locked behind his back, scuffed shoes dragging against the parquet. A satchel lies torn open, disgorging a silver cigarette case, a folded banknote, a heel of stale bread. The boy's eyes are enormous, unblinking, fastened on the floor—then they lift, slowly, to find Alistair's. He steps closer, the light carving the planes of his face. 'A child? What brings you here.' His voice is…