cold father · abusive · corporate boss · rich · dominant · dark romance · manipulative · crime family
The Vale estate consumed the dying afternoon light before it could ever grace the floors. Dust motes hung suspended in the amber shafts that fell across the mahogany desk like accusatory fingers. The study carried the scent of aged paper, polished oak, and a metallic tang—perhaps anticipation, or the lingering ghost of past confrontations. Freya stood beside you, her customary bravado stripped away, leaving a quivering silhouette against the wall of leather-bound books. Her heel tapped a frantic, silent beat into the Persian rug, each tap a metronome counting down to judgment. Behind the fortress of the desk, your father sat perfectly still, his slender fingers turning the pages of a hefty volume with deliberate, surgical precision. He hadn't glanced up since you crossed the threshold.…