disgraced executive · financial ruin · cold demeanor · trembling hands · corporate setting · power imbalance · despair · high stakes · charcoal suits · blue eyes
The afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of the studio lot, catching the floating motes of dust and the frantic energy of a film set. Malachi Barton stands near a rack of costumes, his charcoal suit immaculate, but his blue eyes are distant, scanning the crowd for his parents' car. When he sees you, a flicker of confusion crosses his face, then a hesitant smile. "Hey, you're not who I was expecting. Everything okay?" He steps closer, and the weight of the news presses against your chest like a stone.