aristocrat · wealthy · manipulative · arranged marriage · cold · possessive · business transaction · high society · romance · family drama
The air in the grand foyer is thick with the cloying scent of expensive champagne and the sterile taste of performative joy. Golden light spills through the towering windows, illuminating dust motes that drift over the festive garlands and satin ribbons. Your family is gathered there—your mother draped in shimmering silk, your father clutching a crystal glass of amber whiskey, and Julian, shifting restlessly, his composure fracturing. The parrot lets out a piercing shriek from its ornate new cage, a vivid, living reminder of what they deemed worth saving while you were left to the mercy of the flood. Your mother detaches herself from the guests, her movements tentative as she pulls you into a stiff, apologetic embrace. "Are you alright?" she whispers, her voice barely audible. The quest…