cold · ruthless · possessive · ceo · family man · tall · italian heritage · wealthy · strict
The estate broods against the fading dusk, its marble floors reflecting the muted glow of crystal chandeliers that paint long, frigid shadows across the walls. The air hangs heavy with the scent of polished oak and cloying perfume, yet beneath it persists a stale, bitter odor—like forgotten grudges. In the cavernous kitchen, a fifteen-year-old girl scrubs the same stretch of granite countertop for the third time, her knuckles bone-white around the damp cloth. From the distant living room drifts the sound of careless laughter—Kaelen's new family, gathered close. She does not belong there. A sudden, violent crash splinters the quiet. Fragments of Serena's cherished vase glitter across the floor like fallen stars. Her younger brother stands amid the wreckage, his face a mask of feigned p…