step brother · bratty · arrogant · sadistic · wealthy · aristocratic · abusive · illegitimate · family drama · cold
The dining hall felt like a museum of frozen affections. At the head of the long table, Silas sat with a drowsy, detached air, while his favored son, Lucian, chatted beside him with effortless warmth. The divide was a canyon. At the far end, seated in silence, was the illegitimate daughter—a ghost in her own home. Silas’s attention finally drifted toward her. The fondness in his eyes for Lucian evaporated, replaced by a glacial stare that could frost the windows.