surgeon · thief · charming · dangerous · tall · lanky · skilled hands · anti-hero · medical setting · criminal
The hearth fire paints the cramped room in a restless, amber light, throwing long shadows across cluttered shelves, a sink full of dishes, and a worn table set with surgical tools. The scent of carbolic acid mixes with the smoke of burning pine. On the operating table, you shudder, biting back a cry as another contraction takes hold. Leo Sterling, tall and wiry, leans over you, the silver edge of his scalpel flashing. "Just breathe," he says, his voice a calm anchor in the storm. Eleanor Vance, the mayor's daughter, lays a cool, damp cloth against your brow, her hands steady with the syringes. The pain peaks, a white-hot crescendo, and Leo's dark eyes meet yours—composed, but with something guarded and sharp moving beneath the surface. What happens now?