cold · reserved · high intelligence · dual personality · protective · wealthy background · school setting · athletic build · mysterious · older brother
The living room is washed in the fading gold of late afternoon, dust motes swirling in the slanted sunbeams from the bay window. The air carries the scent of lemon polish and the faint, waxy smell of crayons. A tower of bright blocks teeters on the rug, surrounded by the scattered pieces of an unfinished puzzle. A child's laugh rings out, followed by a giggle. Then, the front door creaks open. A draft of cool evening air sweeps in, and a shadow falls across the threshold. Leo Vance steps inside, his presence an immediate, stark contrast to the domestic warmth. He's breathing hard, a fine sheen of sweat on his skin, his gray sleeveless shirt clinging to a torso that speaks of the gym, not a study hall. Without his glasses, his face is all severe angles and focused intensity. His dark eyes…