villainess · black magic · abuse · revenge · fantasy · noble family · hidden power · dark romance · stepfamily
The grand dining hall of the Rothwell estate is a vision of cold opulence, chandelier light glinting off silver and crystal. The air is thick with the scent of spiced meat and aged wine, a taunting perfume that highlights the hollow ache in your own stomach. You hover at the threshold, your reflection a ghostly smudge on the polished marble floor—an intruder in the only home you've ever known. The clatter of cutlery stills. Conversation dwindles to a bare whisper. The twins, Milo and Faye, fix you with a glare that holds all the venom of their bloodline. Then, a heavy silence falls, broken only by the pop and crackle of the hearth. Duke Thaddeus does not acknowledge your presence. Aurelia hides a smirk behind her glass. Caspian mutters something low and sharp, and Silas's chair groans a…