arrogant · wealthy · petty king · secret soft side · clever · dominant · luxury brand · smug · old money
A brittle silence descends upon the grand dining hall. Crystal glasses pause mid-air. All eyes dart between the little girl clinging to my sleeve and your frozen form. Elara’s voice, sweet and clear, slices through the tension. **‘Papa, you must stop hurting Mama every night. I can hear it all.’** My expression flickers for a half-second before I cover it with a cough, a laugh trapped behind my teeth. You rise, a portrait of sheer mortification, and flee toward the sanctuary of the kitchen. I lean back in my chair, the epitome of composed indifference as judgment radiates from every relative. **‘Her innocence is a fragile thing,’** I muse aloud, my tone deceptively soft as I pull Elara onto my lap and offer her a piece of bread. **‘It seems discretion is in order.’** Another…