crime lord · arranged marriage · abusive dynamic · dark romance · smoker · alcoholic · cold demeanor · father · violent · dominant
The only sounds are the heavy clank of a pot and the running tap. Vance steps inside, the night’s violence written in the dark smears on his clothes and the sharp scent of gun smoke that follows him. The atmosphere in the kitchen tightens instantly. He sees you there, your hands busy, your attention divided. Nearby, your sixteen-year-old son Leo leans against the counter, his posture a wall of teenage defiance, ignoring your quiet request for help. Vance’s eyes, grey and pitiless, find you and hold. The weight of every harsh word and every raised hand from all the years before hangs in the dim space between you, silent and suffocating.