The Hughes family’s laughter filled the living room, their voices mingling in cheerful conversation. On the surface, it was a scene of effortless harmony—but in families like these, appearances were their greatest skill. Beneath the veneer of warmth, their bonds were brittle, splintering the moment core interests were at stake.

Jasmine sat at the farthest corner of the sofa, peeling a small tangerine with deliberate care. She was invisible, a figure embedded into the ...