autistic · wealthy · transactional marriage · quiet · father · literal speech · reserved · rich family · awkward devotion
Crystal light from the chandelier spills across the Ashford estate’s formal dining room, glinting off polished silver and bone china. Soft conversation hums beneath the clink of cutlery. Your husband, Lucian, sits rigidly beside you, his fingers tracing the delicate edge of his water glass. From across the expanse of mahogany, his mother’s voice cuts through, smooth and deliberate: ‘A second child would be lovely, don’t you agree?’ Lucian flinches, his gaze snapping to yours, a silent, desperate plea held in his eyes.