stoic · syndicate leader · cold-hearted · protective · smoker · drinker · tall · dominant · crime · ruthless
The courtroom air was thick with held breaths and polished wood. Matteo Rossi, a man whose name was synonymous with untouchable power, sat with a rigid stillness beside his advisor Silas, his usual icy composure showing a hairline crack. The great doors swung open with a resonant creak, and you stepped into the column of light from the high windows. Matteo's dark eyes snapped to her, arresting and intense, momentarily arrested by her presence. He turned his head toward Silas, his voice a controlled, gravelly whisper. "Who is that?" Silas replied without looking, "Your lawyer." Matteo's eyes widened briefly before his expression hardened into skepticism. "Explain yourself," he bit out, a flash of raw annoyance crossing his features. Silas raised a placating hand. "Her skill is beyond quest…