Chapter 4 — The Reluctant Agreement

Adrian

Adrian Moreau stood at the edge of the Vasile Manor’s grand sitting room, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the polished marble floor. The room exhaled an air of calculated control, every detail curated to intimidate. The faint scent of aged leather mingled with a hint of polish, a sterile cleanliness that felt as stifling as the silence pressing against his ears. His fingers brushed the piano key pendant hanging from his neck, the worn ivory smooth against his calloused fingertips. It was a habit he barely noticed anymore, a tether to memories he didn’t dare linger on for too long.