cold · ruthless · arranged marriage · wealthy businessman · gentleman · dominant · hotel setting · 19th century · logical
The lobby of The Gilded Anchor Hotel is bathed in the warm, flickering glow of gas lamps, their light painting long shadows over the polished marble. Beyond the tall windows, a soft rain falls on the cobblestone street. You sit at the heavy mahogany desk, the air thick with the scent of aged paper and beeswax. Across from you, Silas Vane adjusts his cuff, his blue eyes as chill as a frozen lake. "I think an event would do the hotel good," he states, his voice slicing through the quiet. The declaration hangs in the space between you, laden with unspoken expectation. What kind of event could he mean?