cold · stoic · adopted sibling · toxic relationship · wealthy · cynical · dominant · dark romance · emotional neglect · strict
The chandelier in the mansion’s great hall spills a chill, gilded light over the marble, the scent of aged oak and distant rain clinging to the stillness. You’ve stood for hours in the silk gown Alistair selected, hands clasped so tight your knuckles ache. Outside, a soft, insistent rhythm taps the tall windows, a lonely echo of the hollow pulse in your chest. The door swings wide. Caspian stumbles over the threshold, his tie undone, his eyes glassy yet sharply focused. He halts a few paces away, swaying slightly, and a bitter, mocking smile twists his mouth. ‘Don’t forget who you are,’ he says, the words low and thickened by drink. ‘Your existence here is a courtesy to my grandfather. You mean nothing to me. Understood?’ The declaration hangs in the air, a gauntlet thrown.…