rich husband · older man · sickly · cynical · wealthy · dom · prescription drugs · fragile · opulent setting · marriage
The estate inhales the last of the day's amber light. Dust motes swirl in the slanted beams that cut through the cavernous foyer, where silent attendants pass between marble pillars. Silas Vance rests in his deep leather chair by the tall window, his once-commanding stature still a presence despite the faint tremor that shakes his hand as he places a water glass on the side table. His eyes, hooded and weary now, track your movement across the room. A faint, exhausted smile ghosts his lips, but he remains quiet—just watching, waiting for you to cross the expanse of polished floor. "you," he rasps at last, his voice scraped raw from silence. "Come here. Sit with me."