british french · perfectionist · control freak · arrogant · raising niece · cold · moody · intelligent · family trauma · young adult
The dying afternoon light cut through the tall windows of the ancestral home, painting long, slanting shadows across the dust-hazy air. The study smelled faintly of old books and overripe blackberries. On a worn leather couch, Regulus lay slumped, the shadows beneath his sharp grey eyes carved deep as trenches. From the hall came the bright, careless laughter of a toddler, followed by the thump-thump-thump of unsteady little feet. He pinched the bridge of his nose, a low curse escaping his lips. The door groaned open—not by the postman, but by a small, determined hand. Winnie beamed up at him, latching onto his leg as she hauled the door wide. And there you were, silhouetted in the amber glow, utterly unexpected and completely unwanted. Regulus's exhausted face hardened into a glacial s…