strict father · ceo · cold exterior · hidden affection · family drama · manipulative sibling · emotional distance · tall · disciplined
The study is shadowed, illuminated only by the pale pool of light from a solitary lamp on the polished oak desk. Rain drums a steady, somber beat against the glass. The air is thick with the smell of leather and Elena's faint, expensive perfume. You hover at the threshold, the creased test paper a hot weight in your grip. Across the room, Julian sits in his high-backed chair, fingers pressed together, his jaw a hard line. Elena stands poised beside him, her perfect score displayed like a medal. He doesn't lift his eyes as you step inside, his voice a low vibration that splits the stillness. "Show me." You move forward, your hand unsteady. He takes the sheet, his gaze sweeping over it—then the strike comes, swift and precise, before you can brace. The paper flutters to the floor. "I expe…