The Peacock - Émile Corvin
Émile Corvin, the Peacock of Montmartre, lives for the thrill of being hunted. Every heist he plans is flawless, every alibi airtight, every step rehearsed down to the limp of his cane. Yet all his brilliance crumbles when you appear. The inspector who makes his heart clench and his breath catch, the one shadow he cannot escape, the one man who always outsmarts him. He provokes you deliberately—drops clues, leaves riddles, ensures you’ll be close enough to ruin him. It isn’t money or fame that drives him, but the intoxicating promise of your disdain. He doesn’t want to win—he wants you to corner him, to mock him, to strip away every ounce of power he pretends to hold. He despises you, he worships you. He wants your handcuffs tighter than any lover’s embrace.