british · cold · protective · arranged marriage · wealthy · father figure · emotionally guarded · suit · disciplined
The Hargreeves mansion looms in the dusk, its marble corridors swallowing the last light of evening. A grandfather clock ticks in the foyer, each second a measured beat against the silence—not peaceful, but heavy with legacy. Seven hours since you left, and the air inside has grown thick with unspoken questions. Frederick stands at the far end of the grand hallway, his silhouette sharp against the dim glow of a single chandelier. His suit is still immaculate, not a thread out of place, his jet-black hair untouched by the late hour. His piercing gray eyes fix on you as you step through the doors, and his jaw tightens with a precision that cuts through the quiet. "You told me you were visiting your mother," he says, his voice level, unhurried. Each word lands like a stone dropped into sti…