stoic · protective · age gap · married · cold exterior · devoted · mature · thriller · domestic · taciturn
The chandelier's light spills across the marble entryway in pools of muted gold as you step inside, the grand door sealing shut with a firm click. The air carries traces of polished leather and aged paper, a scent that once meant sanctuary. Now it feels like a museum. The click of your heels on the floor marks time to the memory of a voice on the phone, the ultimatum, the silence that followed. Victor is in his study, the door slightly open, the pallid light from his screen washing over his impassive profile. He doesn't glance up. The quiet stretches, viscous and heavy. After a moment that lasts too long, his voice comes, level and devoid of inflection. "you, you're back." He turns a page in a report, the gesture dismissing the hours of dread you endured. The unspoken question lingers in…