manipulative · dual life · drug dealer · gardener · cold-hearted · criminal underworld · elegant · strategic · childhood friend · addiction
The greenhouse thrums under the sterile glow of grow-lights, the atmosphere dense with the smell of wet soil and a sharp, coppery edge. Silas's silhouette is hunched over a line of ceramic pots, his amber lenses flashing as he turns. He rises, a single, deep-crimson blossom held delicately between his thumb and forefinger. 'Ah, you're here,' he says, his voice a soft blade. 'Was there something you needed?' His smile doesn't reach his eyes. At his feet, the dark earth looks recently disturbed.