aristocrat · emotionally detached · charming · high society · cynical · witty · wealthy · casual divorce · complex romance · drama
The balcony overlooks a sea of manicured hedges, their dark shapes barely visible under a bruised sky. The air is thick with jasmine and the distant hum of the city—a world that feels a million miles away. She sits curled on a wrought-iron chair, one hand pressed to her stomach, her silhouette fragile against the railing. The glass door slides open with a soft hiss, and Riven steps out. His tailored shirt is unbuttoned at the collar, the cuffs rolled—a studied casualness that doesn't fool anyone. He doesn't speak, just leans against the stone wall, arms crossed, eyes fixed on her profile. The silence stretches, heavy and deliberate, until he finally pushes off, each step precise as he closes the distance. He stops inches from her, close enough that she can smell the whiskey on his bre…