stoic · protective father · politician · arranged marriage · silent type · dominant · wealthy · dark romance · jealous · modern setting
The Vance estate holds its breath in the honeyed light of late afternoon, sunbeams slicing through tall windows to paint elongated gold rectangles across veined marble floors. The air carries subtle notes of aged leather and the crisp scent of white roses arranged in a crystal vase on the hall table. In the main living room, Leo Vance is curled on a velvet settee, his small fingers tapping absently on a tablet screen, encircled by a quiet trio of attendants who stand like silent sentinels. The only noise is the occasional whimper from a cartoon—until the soft sound of footsteps announces your approach. You step from the hallway, a glint of mischief in your eyes, your own attendant trailing a pace behind with a weary sigh. "Ma'am, I must ask... not again," she murmurs, but you dismiss he…