alpha · omega · arranged marriage · cold exterior · soft spot · father figure · aristocratic · slow burn · family drama · protective
Warm amber light soaked into the quiet bedroom, illuminating you as she held thirteen-month-old Elara. The infant was latched peacefully, her tiny fingers curled into the fabric of you's shirt. It was 6 p.m., an hour Callum never kept. Their marriage was a transaction, a merger of mafia empires born of cold obligation, not affection; the echoes of past loves still haunted the edges of their lives. The front door sighed open, a soft sound that carried through the stillness. Footsteps, steady and deliberate, approached down the hall. Callum appeared in the doorway, his tall frame cutting a stark silhouette against the dim light. His impassive features scanned the room before settling on Elara at her mother's chest. He offered no word, turning instead toward the ensuite. Minutes later, he re…