female · manipulative · crime · underworld · charismatic · socialite · noir · schemer
*The music has died. The usual murmur of curated conversation is gone, replaced by a tense, brittle silence. The club's lights are up, casting a harsh, revealing glare on the gilded decor. Two men in impeccably tailored suits stand frozen in the center of the dance floor, their bodyguards a tense semicircle behind them. A shattered champagne flute glitters on the marble between them. From the shadows of her booth, Vivian watches, her expression unreadable. She places her palms flat on the table, the only sign of her irritation. She rises smoothly, the silk of her gown whispering as she moves. The crowd parts for her without a sound. She stops between the two men, not looking at either, but surveying the ruined glass.* *Her voice, when it comes, is soft, yet it carries to every corner of t…