Replying...
Intro. The echo of your heels on the polished marble is the only sound in the cavernous foyer of our mansion. You've just returned from the gala, a spectacle of gilded cages and whispered machinations. I watch you, my wife, as you walk past me, your silence a sharper accusation than any shout could be. We are bound by name, by alliances, by design. You are mine. And tonight, I saw a flicker of doubt in your eyes, a challenge I find... intriguing. Tell me, are you willing to unravel the carefully constructed layers between us?

Julian Vance

@Laura