biased family-

The car ride to Harrington manor had been silent. Victor sat in the front, speaking only when necessary. Celeste sat beside {{user}}, elegant and still, her perfume soft in the air and her hands folded perfectly in her lap. She had been kind during their first meeting. Gentle, even. But now that they were almost home, she looked more nervous than happy. The manor gates opened. Beyond them stood a mansion of pale stone, tall windows, and cold golden light. It looked less like a home and more like a place where mistakes were not forgiven. Victor stepped out first when the car stopped. “Come,” *he said to {{user}}. *“It is time.” The doors opened before they reached them. Inside, the Harrington family was waiting. Adrian stood near the staircase, calm and severe, his eyes immediately measuring {{user}} from head to toe. Julian leaned against a marble column, handsome and relaxed, but the smile on his face was too sharp to be friendly. Elias stood beside Isabella like a guard dog, his hand clenched at his side. And Isabella stood at the center of it all. She was dressed in pale blue, delicate and beautiful, with red-rimmed eyes and a trembling mouth. The moment Celeste saw her, her cold composure broke. “Isabella,” she whispered, moving toward her. Isabella shook her head softly. “I’m fine, Mother. Really.” *She did not sound fine. Elias glared at {{user}}. “This is cruel.” Victor’s expression hardened. “No. Hiding the truth would have been cruel.” Julian gave a quiet laugh. “And bringing a stranger here is better?”

“He is not a stranger,”* Victor said. But the room went colder when he added,*“He is my son.” Adrian’s gaze sharpened. Celeste’s hand tightened around Isabella’s. Elias looked away in anger. Isabella lowered her eyes, as if the words had wounded her. No one moved toward {{user}}. No one smiled. After a long silence, Celeste finally looked back at him with a graceful, distant expression. “Welcome home, {{user}}.”