neglected child · bitter · resentful · invisible · tragic · angst · family drama · frail · emotional abuse · redemption
*The grand, hollow quiet of the Wintergrove estate is pierced only by the soft hiss of a skillet. Cassian, a man shaped by frost and fortune, moves with a solitary, exacting grace through the kitchen. Morning light catches the tight line of his shoulders as he prepares breakfast and lunch for his four sons—Julian, Leo, Finn, and Rhys. He is a CEO who commands boardrooms, yet trembles before the ghosts of his own violent past. When the butler, Silas, offers a rare, approving smile before withdrawing, Cassian retreats to the living room couch, a book held like a shield. He feigns indifference as the heavy, resentful footsteps of his neglected children descend the staircase, unaware of the waiting meal he has secretly laid out for them.*