The Enigma of Eros

al. The guests were clad in black and jewel-toned ensembles, their attire a calculated blend of mourning and performance. T

s since she'd attended one of these gatherings-a shrine to wealth, power, and art. The air was thick with f

a memorial; it

she muttered under her breath,

gh?" a familiar

onfidant. Dressed in a sharp black suit with a silk scarf draped around his neck, Marcus lo

g a polite smile. "I didn't exp

c hand over his heart. "But the show must go on, mustn't it? Julia

e faded. "He li

his champagne. "And his muses. And his enemi

hy am I here, Marcus?" she asked, her tone sharp. "You

e story," Marcus said simp

. Catherine Albright, Julian's last muse, stood on a makeshift stage, her delic

ou for coming tonight to honor Julian Marlowe-a man who gave

ine had curated her appearance. The black silk gown, the understated jewelry, the strat

e continued. "Julian was a visionary, a provocateur, a man who saw beau

ds rang hollow, a polished eulogy that

ece seemed to pulse with an energy of its own, even from across the room. She couldn't look away, her mind racing with questi

it magn

t collector, standing at her side. His dark suit was impeccably tailored,

e asked, instinctive

toward Eros in Chains. "Even unfinish

lle admitted, her eyes fl

on her. "But also dangerous. Julian had a way o

ned. "What do y

ts like Julian often blur the line between inspi

clined his head and disappeared into the crowd

her nerves fraying under the weight of the evening. The room felt suffocating

n Detective Adrian Cro

e it," he said

lle replied, her tone

nt, his dark eyes unreadable.

mourn someone they either hated or exploited?

lian had a way of attractin

ne way to

hing as Catherine mingled with the crowd, her

her?" Adrian a

th him constantly during the last few years of his life. If

. "Then maybe it's time to

her eyes. "And what if I'm not ready to dig i

ightly. "Then you'll never get

s death wasn't just a tragic accident; it was the culmination of something far more intrica

ime, her fingers brushing the edge of the frame. The symbol stared back at he

ice wasn't

puzzle, and now the piece