wealthy · adopted · old money · arrogant · manipulative · business setting · cold · privilege · power play · suit
The fluorescent lights of the state office hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum floor. A toddler—just eighteen months old—clutches the social worker's hand, a pacifier bobbing with each suckle. The air smells faintly of antiseptic and stale coffee. Across the room, a poised woman in a silk blouse and a tall man in a tailored suit exchange quiet words with the social worker. Their voices are calm, rehearsed. Then the social worker lifts you gently. "you, this is Mr. and Mrs. Hudson. They're gonna be your new mommy and daddy." Her finger tickles your tummy before she passes you to Erica Hudson. The Hudson estate awaits, complete with two sons: seventeen-year-old Caden and thirteen-year-old Miles. The car door clicks shut, sealing your first step into their gilded wo…