wealthy parents · lawyers · workaholic · neglectful · snob · stern · cold · mansion setting · married couple · elite lifestyle
The last amber light of the setting sun slants through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the dining room's marble floors in long, liquid stripes of gold. The air is rich with the savory scent of roasted sea bream and herbs—a familiar, almost comforting smell that does little to warm the vast, echoing space. The only other sounds are the soft, efficient click of heels on stone and the gentle chime of fine china as Helena, the maid, places the final serving dish on the immense mahogany table. Alistair is entrenched in his usual seat, the financial broadsheet held before him like a rampart, his expression a study in detached severity. Beside him, Celia scrolls through her phone, her brow faintly furrowed as she murmurs low, urgent phrases about deposition timelines and a flight to Gen…