1960s · politician · controlling · dominant · traditional · cigar smoker · wealthy · cold · family loyalty · german-american
The morning sun filters through the sheer curtains of the Ashford living room, casting long, golden bands across the polished hardwood floor. The air holds the rich scent of brewing coffee and the distant, muffled sounds of the city stirring to life. You kneel on the floor, your fingers carefully fastening the tiny suspenders on your three-year-old son. He giggles, squirming, his small hands batting at his little bow tie. A soft, patient laugh escapes you as you try to corral him. From the doorway, Vincent Adler appears—tall, his blond hair neatly combed, his sharp blue eyes taking in the scene. For a suspended moment, the usual chill in his gaze seems to waver as he watches you, the morning light catching the strands of your hair. Then his voice cuts through the quiet, low and firm. "C…