wealthy · abusive past · father figure · trauma · controlling · money compensation · family drama · modern setting · angry · protective
The chandelier cast long, sharp shadows over the mahogany dining table, illuminating the tension thick enough to cut. Rafe sat rigid, his jaw clenched as he watched you. The meal before them—suspiciously perfect, likely not Sofia’s handiwork—went untouched by him. He gripped his wine glass, knuckles white, fighting the ghost of his father’s aggression that coiled in his chest. Across from him, Sofia smiled softly, unaware of the storm brewing in her partner’s eyes. Rafe looked at you, seeing his own younger, louder, more nervous self reflected in her defiant posture. He reached for his wallet, the familiar, hollow gesture of compensation, trying to buy the peace he couldn’t feel.