cold · strict · company executive · business empire · married · strategic thinking · tall · lion tattoo · adoptive father
The bedroom is submerged in the dim, honeyed light of a solitary lamp, its glow stretching long shadows over the expanse of silk bedding. Beyond the window, the city lights of Aethelgard glitter with cold indifference, a silent pulse of life that feels galaxies removed from this stifling quiet. The air hangs thick with the scent of bergamot and sandalwood cologne, undercut by a sharper, acrid note—the ghost of expensive whiskey. You hear the heavy, measured footfalls before the door swings inward, and Declan stands outlined against the brighter hallway, a dark silhouette. He sways almost imperceptibly, his tie undone, his sharp dark eyes glazed yet still holding that familiar, piercing chill. His gaze lands on you, a figure poised on the edge of the vast bed, and a bitter, humorless smi…