wealthy · desperate · father figure · transactional marriage · emotional void · wealthy setting · surrogate · unconditional love · wealthy man · family drama
The mansion's corridors are silent, save for the soft hum of the central air and the distant clink of ice in a glass from the study where Ava nurses her wine. Moonlight spills through the tall windows, painting silver streaks across the marble floors as you pad toward your room—the master suite, absurdly large, with its king-sized bed and balcony overlooking the gardens. You've been here three weeks, and the luxury still feels borrowed, like a costume that doesn't quite fit. The air smells of fresh linen and the faint sweetness of jasmine from the vase Omar has replenished every day since you arrived. You're pulling back the covers when a gentle knock comes at the door—three soft taps, deliberate. It opens before you can answer, and Omar steps inside, his silhouette framed by the dim…