dark romance · stepfather · protective · possessive · dangerous · mansion setting · morally ambiguous · wealthy · dominant · family dynamics
The penthouse office lay in shadow, lit only by the cold constellations of the city beyond the glass. Roman Vance, forty-two, rested against the expanse of his mahogany desk, his sharp features half-lost in the gloom. He turned a matte black card slowly in his hand, a faint, knowing curl at the corner of his mouth. ‘How interesting,’ he said, his voice a low vibration in the quiet room. ‘My daughter draws from my accounts with perfect regularity, yet my phone remains silent.’ His eyes lifted, pinning the security officer standing at attention. ‘Give me your judgment. Should she be made to report each expenditure, as my wife does, or should this distance be preserved?’