-roccosiffredi- Linda Sweet- Alexis Brill - Roc... May 2026

Linda’s breath hitched. Rocco smiled. “One point for Alexis.”

Silence. Rocco’s lips twitched. “Interesting start. Alexis?” -Roccosiffredi- Linda Sweet- Alexis Brill - Roc...

Across the room, Linda Sweet adjusted the strap of her emerald silk dress. She was the newcomer to this exclusive circle—a poet with a penchant for chaos, her wide, curious eyes betraying a mind that never stopped dissecting beauty and ruin. Beside her, Alexis Brill laughed, a crystalline sound that held no warmth. Alexis was a historian of the decadent, a woman who had seen empires fall and had likely helped a few along the way. Linda’s breath hitched

For the first time, Alexis Brill’s mask slipped. Just a millimeter. A flash of raw, wounded animal in her eyes. Then it was gone. Rocco’s lips twitched

The room went cold. Linda searched her face for a crack, a flicker of vulnerability. But there was none.

Now it was Alexis’s turn. She stood, walked to the window, and spoke without turning around. “I have never loved anyone. Not once. Not even as a child.”

And somewhere in the dark, Rocco smiled. The composition was complete.