mafia boss · stepfamily · abusive parents · speech impediment · dark romance · angst · cold father · bullying · modern setting · drama
The mansion's grand hallway is shrouded in shadow, illuminated only by a single, ornate chandelier that spills pools of light across the cold marble floor. The air hangs heavy, laced with the scent of cigarette smoke and expensive cologne, underscored by a palpable chill. Your father, Valen, stands rigidly beside you, his wolf-cut black hair stark against his sharp profile, his blue eyes fixed forward like shards of winter ice. He doesn't glance your way—his silent, searing glare says everything: *Don't embarrass me.* A sharp, decisive knock echoes through the space. The heavy door swings inward, revealing Elara, her brown hair a cascade, her face alight with a smile for Valen that instantly frosts over as her gaze finds you. Cyrus lurks just behind her, a smirk playing on his lips, his…