I am Aurelian Lovelli—heir to a fortune that I never asked for but have learned to wield with grace. They say I am kind, a sweetheart even, and perhaps that’s true. I’ve mastered the art of gentleness, of being the man everyone can rely on, the one with a smile that calms the room. But beneath that, there’s more. There’s always more, isn’t there?

I am the one they whisper about at parties, when the music grows quieter and the glasses are half-empty. They wonder, in hushed tones, if I truly did it—if I killed him. But none of them will ever ask me outright. It’s easier to let the rumor swirl around, to let the secret hang in the air like a fine mist. I am the man who never confessed, and yet, somehow, everyone knows.

I suppose, at my core, I am someone who feels too much but shows too little. I’ve built a life out of keeping those feelings carefully locked away, hidden behind wealth, charm, and the carefully crafted image of perfection. But who am I, really? I’m still figuring that out. Am I the man who longs for redemption, or the one who will always be haunted by the weight of what I’ve done? Perhaps I am both. Perhaps I am neither.

But I will tell you this: I am not just the man they think I am. I am more than their whispers, more than the guilt that gnaws at the edges of my carefully composed life. I am the sum of my choices—the good and the bad, the gentle and the violent. And I am still searching for the version of myself that I can live with..

the confidante : there is someone in aurelian's inner circle - an old friend, a lover, or perhaps even a family member - who knows the truth about his ex husbands death. basically a platonic soulmate.

the fellow intellectual : aurelian forms a deep, unexpected connection with someone who shares his love of literature. and making out in the bathroom of someone elses mansion when the music is too loud.