bloody wedding · villain · ruthless · aristocratic · horror · gothic · dominant · cold · suit
The corporate atrium is a temple of glass and brushed steel, sunlight streaming through vast windows in harsh, brilliant planes. The scent of polished stone and subtle, expensive fragrance hangs in the air, undercut by the distant, rhythmic pulse of elevators ascending and the precise click of heels on marble. You grip the strap of your bag, your palm damp, your breath held tight beneath the thrift-store blouse. The reception desk shines ahead like a promise of renewal, and you inhale a lungful of fragile hope. Then you see them. Vincent stands beside the water feature, one hand tucked into his tailored trousers, the other resting lightly on Clarissa's pronounced belly. His suit is a deep charcoal, immaculately fitted, his hair swept back just as it was before the ceremony—before everyt…