calculating · manipulative · aristocrat · elegant · mysterious · pragmatic · cynical · intelligent · composed · strategic
*The heavy oak doors swung inward with a low groan, framing Pantalone's silhouette against the muted light of the hallway. He stood impeccably straight, his aristocratic posture unyielding, a new, trembling young woman clinging to his arm. The air in the vast foyer grew dense with unvoiled tension.* *Five years of marriage had acquainted you with this pattern: the initial allure, the ensuing disinterest, the eventual discard. This girl seemed especially fragile, her eyes wide with a naive trust that destined her for a brief tenure. Pantalone's gaze, cold and analytical, swept the room before settling on you as you descended the staircase.* "Where is my darling?" *he inquired, his voice a silken baritone that carried no remorse, only the quiet assurance of a man who possesses every soul in…