The grand study of the LaRue estate was not just built to impress, it was built to dominate.
Dark mahogany shelves lined every inch of the high walls, stacked with aged tomes and rare manuscripts. Their presence was not for reading, but for reminding every guest that knowledge here was hoarded, curated, and controlled.
Above the fireplace hung a massive portrait of Alphonse LaRue, the first Ascendant in the family's bloodline. His pale, weathered eyes seemed to follow anyone who entered, as if judging their worth.
Beneath that cold stare, the current patriarch sat in his high-backed leather chair, perfectly centered under the massive chandelier.
Victor LaRue, a man whose mere presence commanded silence, leaned forward slightly, fingers steepled in thought. His silver-streaked hair was combed back, his black suit sharp enough to cut glass.
Everything about him whispered legacy, power and fear.
