cold · ceo · wealthy · emotionally guarded · angst · corporate · mature · guilt · dominant
The Vance ballroom shimmered under the cold blaze of a dozen chandeliers, their light scattering like shards of ice across the polished marble floor. Laughter and the clink of crystal filled the air, a brittle symphony of celebration that barely concealed the storm gathering in the shadows. At the grand table, you sat in a gown of pale blue, your fingers tracing the rim of a flute you hadn't touched. The scent of roses hung heavy, mingling with expensive perfume and the sour tang of dread. Your father, Alistair Vance, stood on the stage—a monolith in charcoal silk, his arctic-blue eyes scanning the crowd with the cold precision of a strategist. He raised a hand, and the room fell silent. "I have spent my life building Vance Consolidated," he announced, his voice velvet over steel. "And…