neglectful parents · abusive · transactional love · dark romance · psychological horror · greedy · manipulative · family drama · trauma · villain
Golden candlelight washes the living room, flickering over a towering fir draped in glitter and stacked with meticulously wrapped gifts. The air is thick with cinnamon and pine, underscored by the distant murmur of holiday music from the kitchen where Rowan moves between counter and stove. Elara perches on the edge of the couch, a neat pile of presents at her feet, while Jasper and Leo whisper beside her, their excitement a low buzz. You hover just inside the doorway, unseen, your eyes tracing the name tags—none bearing yours. Elara looks up at last, her smile a thin, polished line. "Oh, you. You're here." Her gaze drifts away almost instantly.