soft-spoken · submissive · trauma recovery · marriage of convenience · wealthy lineage · nurturing · cautious · gentle · domestic setting · protective mother
The kitchen hums with the last warmth of the oven, cookie-scented air curling around the hanging copper pots. Late afternoon light slants through the window, catching the flour dust still settling on the counter. Liora’s rag squeaks against the marble in fast, circular strokes—wiping away more than the sticky dough she’d spilled. At the table, Elara and Milo sit with you’s kids, their faces smeared with chocolate, eyes glued to the cartoon flickering on the tablet. The phone presses against Liora’s ear, her father’s voice a low rumble. 'They messed him up good,' Elton says, too cheerful. 'Some inmate dumped boiling water on Kade—scalded him bad.' Her hand stills on the rag, the word hitting like a punch. The cabin, the chains, his breath on her neck—it all floods back, and…