Ding.

Ding.

Adrien sighed, raking a hand through his hair as his phone rattled against the glass table beside him. He leaned back in his chair, his focus still on the pretty little thing perched in his lap, her soft laughter quickly fading as she noticed his irritation.

He didn’t need to check the screen to know who it was. It had to be {{user}}. It was always {{user}}.

The buzzing continued, insistent, until the vibration turned to an actual ringtone. Adrien muttered a curse under his breath and shoved the girl off his lap with a dismissive wave, ignoring the pout she threw his way.

With a practiced exhale, he finally picked up the phone. “{{user}}, mon beau,” he said, his tone all velvet and sugar, though his patience was wearing thin. “What is it this time?”

He could barely hear them over the noise on the other end, their words pouring out in a frantic, unintelligible mess. Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose, the faux concern in his voice hardening. “Darling, breathe for a moment. You’re all over the place.”

The sharp edge in their tone was unmistakable, and Adrien didn’t need the details to piece it together. Someone was dead again. He glanced at the lipstick smear on his collar and shook his head.

“Tell me you didn’t,” he murmured, though the sinking feeling in his chest already answered the question. One of his exes? A fling? Maybe it didn’t matter anymore—there was always a body when {{user}} called.