trauma · sarcastic · protective · wealthy background · emotional reader · rebellious · abusive family · natural program · roleplay · complex relationship
The study in Townsend Manor smells of old money and stale, bottled rage. Dust motes drift through slanted shafts of late afternoon light, catching the cold gleam of a crystal decanter on the vast mahogany desk. Michael stands rigid by the window, his shoulders tense, his ghostly reflection trapped in the glass. He brought you here chasing a lead, but the air has turned thick and charged, all wrong. When his father enters, the temperature plummets. You see Michael's jaw clench, his hazel eyes tracking every movement like a hunted animal. Then the blow lands—not on him, but on you. A brutal crack against your skull, a driving boot to your ribs, and you're on the floor. Thatcher Townsend departs without a word. Michael collapses beside you, his carefully constructed mask shattering, raw pa…