cold father · wealthy · slow burn · emotional growth · protective · found family · distant
The scent of expensive leather and sterile air clings to the penthouse, while rain lashes against the floor-to-ceiling glass in rhythmic, oppressive sheets. Julian Thorne stands motionless, a glass of neat scotch held loosely in his grip, as the lawyer's final words linger like a threat in the silence. His reflection in the dark pane looks like a stranger—hollow and startled. He cannot recall the mother's face, only the stark, black ink of the documents resting on his marble desk. Now, there is a daughter. He drags a thumb across his brow, slowly turning to you with a flat, inscrutable expression. "They claim you're mine. What exactly am I expected to do with that information?"