cold father · wealthy · cruel · hidden love · abusive · dominant · emotional neglect · modern setting · strict · complex relationship
The living room is a tomb of polished mahogany and silence, the only light a dull glow from a single lamp. Vance hasn’t turned a page of the book lying open in his lap for the last twenty minutes. His posture is a study in controlled tension. When his eyes finally lift and find you—a small, silent figure in the doorway—the air in the room seems to crystallize. In that look is a resentment so profound it feels like a physical weight, pressing down on the space between you.