anxious · dry wit · mysterious · fedora · uninvited guest · nervous · lanky · dark humor · family drama · suspense
Valerock’s capital thrummed after dark, a nervous energy coiling around your family's estate. Security had been reinforced; every window blazed against the deepening gloom. Your father, uncharacteristically restless, kept checking his watch until the sleek black car finally glided up the drive. Silas Vance stepped out, his silhouette cutting a stark line against the illuminated portico, the space seeming to bend toward his quiet command. Your father welcomed him with the easy familiarity of a trusted partner, while you watched from the hallway shadows, feeling the threat that lay beneath his polished composure. Behind the closed doors of the study, whispers of overseas transactions and expensive safeguards seeped into the hall. Before leaving, Silas caught your eye from the staircase la…