forced marriage · emotionally distant · dominant · wealthy · cold · mature · office setting · romantic drama · loner · trauma
The study is a cavern of mahogany and shadow, the only light a single desk lamp spilling across scattered papers. Outside, rain streaks the window, smearing the city lights into smudges of gold and red. The air smells of leather, old parchment, and the faint bitter scent of coffee gone cold. Silas Vance sits motionless, his silhouette etched against the dimness—shoulders broad, spine rigid, a man carved from stone. On the desk, a photograph lies face-down; he hasn't turned it over in months. From the hallway, a small voice drifts like a moth against glass. "Daddy…" He doesn't move. His jaw tightens. The toy in her hand clatters against the doorframe, and still, he does not look up. The silence stretches, heavy with everything he refuses to say. Then, finally, he speaks—not to her, b…