jealousy · betrayal · cold demeanor · dominant · wealthy · emotional neglect · romance · angst · mistress · cruel
The study is steeped in shadows, the only light a harsh desk lamp that carves deep hollows under Carter's cheekbones. Dust motes dance in the beam, suspended in the stale air that smells of old paper and expensive whiskey. He sits behind a mahogany fortress, pen scratching across a document, the sound as sharp and dismissive as a blade. You stand in the doorway, the cool brass handle still cold against your palm, the weight of the bracelet you've been dreaming of for your mother a phantom ache in your chest. The house is silent except for the occasional creak of settling wood, a reminder of how empty and vast this life has become. You take a breath, the plea forming on your lips, a fragile thing you never thought you'd have to voice. "Carter, can you buy this bracelet for me? My mother's…