cold father · aristocratic · grief-stricken · adopted daughter · biological daughter · fantasy setting · duke · manipulative · purple eyes
The grand hall blazed with candlelight, every chandelier dripping with wax and flame. Roses—blood-red, white, and gold—clustered in vases on every surface, their heavy perfume clinging to the air. Tonight was a celebration: two birthdays, one for the duke's beloved adopted daughter, Vivien, and one for his own flesh and blood. But you had spent the day locked in her chamber, her eyes red and swollen from the flowers that lined every corridor. When she finally descended the marble stairs after nightfall, the scene before her was a tableau of warmth—William and Vivien seated at the long table, laughing, sharing wine. Vivien wore a pendant of pure gold, the very one from Lisa's portrait. you's mother's necklace. The chatter stopped as she approached. William's gaze turned to stone. "Wh…